Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed a death warrant for Richard Knight, the man convicted of brutally killing Coral Springs resident Odessia Stephens and her 4-year-old daughter, Hanessia Mullings, in 2000. The order sets a May 21 execution date and lands amid a rapid run of executions across Florida, dragging a decades-old Broward case back into the spotlight.
According to CBS News Miami, DeSantis signed the warrant on April 22, scheduling Knight to be put to death on May 21. Reporting by the News Service of Florida has detailed the long legal path that followed the killings, from Knight’s initial conviction to years of appeals.
What Happened In Coral Springs
Court records and later coverage recount that Knight erupted in anger after Stephens asked him to move out of her Coral Springs home. He returned, grabbed a kitchen knife and attacked Stephens and her daughter. Stephens was stabbed 21 times, and the child suffered multiple stab wounds and signs consistent with strangulation, according to USA TODAY Network - Florida.
Investigators said Knight tried to clean the crime scene, then climbed out a bedroom window when officers arrived. Police quickly caught him nearby.
Conviction And Appeals
Knight was found guilty of first-degree murder in April 2006 and received a death sentence in March 2007, according to court filings and media reports. The Florida Supreme Court later upheld both his convictions and death sentence. A 2017 motion for postconviction relief was denied, leaving the sentence in place, as reported by Fox13 Tampa Bay.
Over the years, Knight’s legal team has pursued multiple appeals and postconviction challenges, none of which have succeeded in overturning his sentence.
Execution Timing And Paperwork Errors
The governor signed Knight’s death warrant one day after the state executed Chadwick Willacy, a pace critics say reflects an increasingly accelerated execution schedule, CBS News Miami reported.
In a letter that went to the warden of Florida State Prison along with Knight’s warrant, the governor’s office appeared to mistakenly reference a different inmate, James Ernest Hitchcock. The warrant itself sets May 21 as the execution date and specifies that the procedure is to begin at 6 p.m. Eastern at Florida State Prison in Starke, according to USA TODAY Network - Florida.
Reactions And The Wider Context
Death penalty opponents swiftly blasted the decision and the governor’s broad control over when executions move forward. Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty has argued that the way warrants are chosen and scheduled is overly secretive and arbitrary. In a recent statement, FADP said the fast pace of recent warrants undermines public confidence and meaningful oversight.
The Death Penalty Information Center documents that Florida carried out a record 19 executions in 2025 and has highlighted what it describes as procedural failures linked to the state’s accelerated timeline.
Legal Implications
Under Florida law, the governor has the authority to sign death warrants, a power that has become a flashpoint in debates over how and when the state should carry out executions, according to reporting republished by Fox13 Tampa Bay.
Defense attorneys can still pursue last-minute appeals and emergency requests for stays in both state and federal courts. Recent cases suggest those efforts face an uphill battle, with courts often rejecting late-stage challenges. Whether Knight’s lawyers will seek additional relief in the coming weeks has not been reported.
What Comes Next
Knight is currently scheduled to die on May 21, 2026, although late-breaking legal challenges or stay requests could still alter that timeline. If courts turn down any new filings, the state would move ahead under the existing warrant. If judges agree to review fresh claims, the execution could be delayed while those issues are litigated.
For families, neighbors and advocates who remember the Coral Springs murders, the case is entering what may be its final chapter, even as Florida continues to move briskly through its execution calendar.
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