On Feb 19, Governor DeSantis signed the second death warrant of 2025 and set an execution date for Edward Thomas James. He is scheduled to be executed on Thursday, March 20, at 6 pm.
In January 2023, Eddie James suffered a near-fatal heart attack on death row. He was found in his cell, blue and unresponsive. Prison staff had to shock his heart three times and administer chest compressions so forceful they cracked his ribs. He had no pulse for at least 20 minutes, depriving his brain of oxygen for nearly half an hour.
Yet now, the state intends to execute a man they fought to keep alive.
For two years, his lawyers struggled to obtain medical records to confirm the extent of his brain damage. They finally received them on February 14, 2025—and just four days later, Florida’s governor signed his death warrant.
Eddie’s medical condition is severe. He suffers from memory loss, signs of dementia, and seizures, conditions worsened by his history of substance use disorder before his incarceration. His lawyers sought a stay to present this new, crucial evidence—but the courts shut them down without a hearing.
The question isn’t whether Eddie James deserves to die. The real question is: Do we, the people of the State of Florida, deserve to kill him?
Sign this petition to urge the Governor and Executive Clemency Board to stay Eddie James’ execution:
We stand together to urge you to stay the execution of Eddie James.
Edward, known to many as “Eddie,” is set to be executed on March 20 at 6 pm for the 1993 murders of Betty Dick and Toni Neuner.
In January 2023, while on death row, Eddie suffered a near-fatal heart attack, found blue and unresponsive. He had no pulse for 20 minutes, depriving his brain of oxygen for nearly half an hour. This worsened his existing memory loss, dementia, and seizures, compounded by decades of substance abuse.
Moreover, Eddie’s death sentence is the product of Florida’s broken and arbitrary death penalty scheme. His jury verdict for the death penalty was not unanimous, and in only one other state in the nation, Alabama, would his 11-1 jury vote render him even eligible for the harshest punishment.
Executing Eddie for the worst thing he has ever done does not make the people of the State of Florida any safer. Without a doubt, he is not the same person who committed his crimes so many years ago.
Every execution dehumanizes us all. We the People of the State of Florida deserve better.