Topline: Nearly four decades after 11-year-old Teresa McAbee was kidnapped, raped and killed in Lake County, Florida executed former officer James Aren Duckett by lethal injection Tuesday.
Published: July 30, 2026 10:04 pm ET
Shawn Fletcher
Committed to the craft of journalism and am driven by my desire to inform and inspire.
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STARKE, FL — Florida executed former Mascotte police officer James Aren Duckett on Tuesday, nearly 40 years after prosecutors said he kidnapped, raped and murdered 11-year-old Teresa McAbee in Lake County.
According to WFTV, Duckett, 68, was put to death at Florida State Prison near Starke after spending more than 35 years on death row for the 1987 killing.
Duckett was convicted in 1990 in the May 1987 kidnapping, rape and murder of Teresa, who disappeared while riding her bicycle near her Mascotte home. State Attorney Bill Gladson said the execution marked the final administration of justice for the victim and her family after decades of appeals and court proceedings.
Prosecutors said Teresa had walked to a nearby convenience store to buy a pencil the night she vanished. Her body was later found in a lake less than a mile from the store, and three independent witnesses said they last saw her getting into Duckett’s patrol car while he was the only patrol officer on duty.
The medical examiner found that Teresa had been sexually battered, strangled and drowned. Investigators also said distinctive tire tracks near the scene matched Duckett’s patrol car, and Teresa’s fingerprints were found on the hood, evidence prosecutors said showed she had been sitting backward on it and had scooted up the vehicle.
Duckett’s execution had been delayed earlier this year while courts awaited new DNA test results on evidence that had not been fully examined. The Florida Supreme Court issued a stay in March pending that testing, but the execution ultimately moved forward Tuesday.
The Department of Corrections said Duckett was executed by lethal injection at 1:19 p.m. He was also one of two inmates Florida executed on the same day, the first time the state has carried out two executions in a single day in more than 60 years.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Former Officer James Duckett Executed in Florida for 1987 Murder of 11-Year-Old Teresa McAbee
Nearly four decades after 11-year-old Teresa McAbee was kidnapped, raped and killed in Lake County, Florida executed former officer James Aren Duckett by lethal injection Tuesday.
By Shawn Fletcher
Published: July 30, 2026 10:04 pm ET
STARKE, FL — Florida executed former Mascotte police officer James Aren Duckett on Tuesday, nearly 40 years after prosecutors said he kidnapped, raped and murdered 11-year-old Teresa McAbee in Lake County.
According to WFTV, Duckett, 68, was put to death at Florida State Prison near Starke after spending more than 35 years on death row for the 1987 killing.
Duckett was convicted in 1990 in the May 1987 kidnapping, rape and murder of Teresa, who disappeared while riding her bicycle near her Mascotte home. State Attorney Bill Gladson said the execution marked the final administration of justice for the victim and her family after decades of appeals and court proceedings.
Prosecutors said Teresa had walked to a nearby convenience store to buy a pencil the night she vanished. Her body was later found in a lake less than a mile from the store, and three independent witnesses said they last saw her getting into Duckett’s patrol car while he was the only patrol officer on duty.
The medical examiner found that Teresa had been sexually battered, strangled and drowned. Investigators also said distinctive tire tracks near the scene matched Duckett’s patrol car, and Teresa’s fingerprints were found on the hood, evidence prosecutors said showed she had been sitting backward on it and had scooted up the vehicle.
Duckett’s execution had been delayed earlier this year while courts awaited new DNA test results on evidence that had not been fully examined. The Florida Supreme Court issued a stay in March pending that testing, but the execution ultimately moved forward Tuesday.
The Department of Corrections said Duckett was executed by lethal injection at 1:19 p.m. He was also one of two inmates Florida executed on the same day, the first time the state has carried out two executions in a single day in more than 60 years.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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Former Officer James Duckett Executed in Florida for 1987 Murder of 11-Year-Old Teresa McAbee
Nearly four decades after 11-year-old Teresa McAbee was kidnapped, raped and killed in Lake County, Florida executed former officer James Aren Duckett by lethal injection Tuesday.
By Shawn Fletcher
Published: July 30, 2026 10:04 pm ET
STARKE, FL — Florida executed former Mascotte police officer James Aren Duckett on Tuesday, nearly 40 years after prosecutors said he kidnapped, raped and murdered 11-year-old Teresa McAbee in Lake County.
According to WFTV, Duckett, 68, was put to death at Florida State Prison near Starke after spending more than 35 years on death row for the 1987 killing.
Duckett was convicted in 1990 in the May 1987 kidnapping, rape and murder of Teresa, who disappeared while riding her bicycle near her Mascotte home. State Attorney Bill Gladson said the execution marked the final administration of justice for the victim and her family after decades of appeals and court proceedings.
Prosecutors said Teresa had walked to a nearby convenience store to buy a pencil the night she vanished. Her body was later found in a lake less than a mile from the store, and three independent witnesses said they last saw her getting into Duckett’s patrol car while he was the only patrol officer on duty.
The medical examiner found that Teresa had been sexually battered, strangled and drowned. Investigators also said distinctive tire tracks near the scene matched Duckett’s patrol car, and Teresa’s fingerprints were found on the hood, evidence prosecutors said showed she had been sitting backward on it and had scooted up the vehicle.
Duckett’s execution had been delayed earlier this year while courts awaited new DNA test results on evidence that had not been fully examined. The Florida Supreme Court issued a stay in March pending that testing, but the execution ultimately moved forward Tuesday.
The Department of Corrections said Duckett was executed by lethal injection at 1:19 p.m. He was also one of two inmates Florida executed on the same day, the first time the state has carried out two executions in a single day in more than 60 years.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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