- A man convicted of killing a Florida State University student in 1994 is scheduled to be put to death in August.
- Loran Kenstley Cole was sentenced to death for the 1994 murder of John Edwards.
- The news release below details why Governor Ron DeSantis signed the death warrant.
WARNING: The news release includes graphic details from the crime.
GOVERNOR'S PRESS RELEASE:
Governor Ron DeSantis sent the attached letter to Florida State Prison Warden David Allen. The letter informs Warden Allen that Governor DeSantis has signed a death warrant for Loran Kenstley Cole, who was sentenced to death for the 1994 murder of John Edwards.
John Edwards, an 18-year-old student at Florida State University, and his sister Pam Edwards, a 21-year-old student at Eckerd, met at the Ocala National Forest to go camping. While setting up their campsite, they met Cole and William Paul.
Cole and Paul had spent the previous two weeks in the forest breaking into cars. Cole and Paul lured the Edwards siblings away from their campsite and attacked the siblings.
Cole hit John on the head with a walking stick, knocking him to the ground. Cole then jumped on Pam and knocked her to the ground. She got up and tried to run, but Cole caught her, hit her on the back of the head, handcuffed her, and threw her down on the ground.
Paul took Pam up the trail while Cole stayed with John. Cole slashed John’s throat and delivered three blows to his head with a stick, which fractured his skull. The injury to the throat caused a loss of blood externally and internally in John’s lungs, killing him.
Pam, Paul, and Cole then went back to Cole’s campsite. At the campsite, Cole raped Pam. The next morning, Cole told Pam that he was going to check on John, and when he returned, he told Pam that John was fine.
Cole then gagged Pam and tied her to two trees. Cole and Paul stole Pam’s car and fled the area. Pam was able to free herself from the ropes, and flagged down a nearby motorist who took her to the police.
The execution is scheduled for Thursday, August 29, 2024, at 6:00 p.m.
