James Aren Duckett, a 68-year-old former police officer, is set to face execution by lethal injection on March 31, 2026. This date follows the signing of his death warrant by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, marking the fifth death warrant signed by the governor in 2023, and the third execution scheduled for March. Duckett was convicted in 1988 for the heinous crime of raping and murdering 11-year-old Teresa Mae McAbee in 1987. McAbee’s tragic case has haunted the community of Mascotte for decades.
Duckett was a rookie policeman when he was arrested for the crime, which involved the brutal rape and drowning of McAbee. Her body was discovered near Knight Lake, just a mile from where she was last seen, showing signs of sexual assault, strangulation, and drowning. Evidence that led to Duckett’s conviction included eyewitness accounts, DNA evidence, fingerprints, and tire treads from his patrol vehicle. Additionally, McAbee’s palm prints were found on the hood of Duckett’s patrol car, alongside hair that matched Duckett’s found in her underclothes.
The Aftermath of the Conviction
Duckett was convicted of first-degree murder and sexual battery on May 10, 1988, and sentenced to death shortly thereafter on June 30, 1988. Despite filing appeals and engaging in unsuccessful postconviction litigation for over 30 years, the Florida Supreme Court upheld his conviction and death sentence in 1990. The case has been further complicated by the recantation of a witness’s testimony and challenges to the expert testimony used during the trial.
Investigators also discovered that tire tracks at the crime scene did not match the two police cars from Mascotte, which raised additional questions. Duckett was eventually fired from the police department due to the allegations surrounding McAbee’s case. Following his dismissal, he worked at a phosphate mine in Polk County. His wife’s report of him bringing home a green shopping bag with a stuffed toy—similar to one carried by another young girl who disappeared—has also linked him to other crimes, including the murders of two additional young women in 1986 and 1987.
Recent Developments
If all scheduled executions proceed, Duckett will become the fifth individual executed in Florida in 2023, following others such as Melvin Trotter, who was executed on March 7, and upcoming executions of Billy Leon Kearse and Michael King on March 14 and March 17, respectively. Notably, Florida executed 19 individuals in 2025, marking a modern-era record since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976.
Duckett’s case has not only been pivotal in the legal landscape but has also been featured in the CNN series “Death Row Stories” in 2014, highlighting the complexities and controversies surrounding death penalty cases in Florida. As the date of Duckett’s execution approaches, it remains a significant moment for the victims’ families and the community grappling with the aftermath of such a tragic event.
For more detailed information on Duckett’s case and the implications surrounding it, you can read the full articles from Daily Commercial and CBS News.
For further context on executions in the United States, you may find additional information at Spiegel.