Dear Friends,

Last night, Harold “Gene” Lucas was executed almost exactly 50 years after the crime that sent him to death row. We are thinking of everyone who has carried this pain for nearly half a century: Jill Piper, whose life was taken; Terri Rice and Ricky Byrd, who survived terrible violence; their families; and Gene’s loved ones.

Gene spent half a century awaiting execution—not because he repeatedly filed appeals to delay the process, but because the State failed to follow its own rules again and again. By the time he took his last breath, his death sentence had been overturned four separate times, each because of errors made by the State. If you haven’t already, please take a moment to read our full statement and learn more about Gene and the 50 years of State failures that brought us here.

Daniel Conahan Scheduled for Execution Next Thursday
Next Thursday, September 10, Florida plans to execute Daniel “Danny” Conahan for the murder of Richard Montgomery. Danny has always maintained he did not commit this crime, and the evidence against him was incredibly weak, full of shady policing, and impacted by the fact that he was an openly gay man in a climate far more hostile than ours today.

We want to be very clear with you about what you are going to see, hear, and read about Danny over the next eight days. You’re going to be bombarded with information designed to convince you that Danny Conahan is a cold-blooded monster. You will see him repeatedly described as a “serial killer” who has escaped accountability for decades. You will hear law enforcement officials linking him to 20+ murders across southwest Florida and calling him the “Hog Trail Killer.” You will read articles about victims whose bereaved families are counting down the days until Danny is dead and they can finally have closure.

The reality is much more complex, but here’s the bottom line: There is no physical evidence conclusively linking Danny to the murder of Richard Montgomery, let alone to any other murder. No DNA, no connection between the crimes, only a narrative and a climate opposed to Danny for who he was. Even when he was lured into a compromising situation by an undercover officer, he did not do anything illegal. That’s why the State has actively fought to deny Danny access to the DNA testing he asked for 18 months ago, and has never charged him with any other crimes.

Everything from the manner in which he was arrested to the evidence presented by the state is questionable, and they’ve spun a narrative based on circumstance and stereotype.

You can take action for Danny today by signing and sharing his petition, sending the governor a message asking him to stop the execution, and making plans to attend a vigil or protest.

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We’ll have more to share about Curtis Beasley, scheduled for execution on September 29, soon. Until then, stay in the fight. They’re counting on us getting tired and worn down, so it’s all the more important that we don’t.

Onward,

The FADP Team