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Bradford County, FL - A Florida death row inmate is scheduled to be executed in connection with the 1991 killing of a Fort Pierce police officer, a case that has resurfaced as courts review last minute legal filings.
The execution is set to take place at Florida State Prison unless judicial intervention delays the sentence.
Court records show the inmate was convicted of first degree murder in the death of Fort Pierce Police Sergeant Danny Parrish.
According to trial testimony and official findings, Parrish was conducting a traffic stop in January 1991 when the encounter escalated.
Prosecutors said the defendant allegedly overpowered the officer, took his service weapon and shot him multiple times. Parrish later died from his injuries.
The inmate was sentenced to death following conviction, and subsequent appeals over the years have challenged various aspects of the case.
Recent filings from defense attorneys argue that the resentencing process was legally flawed and contend that the inmate may meet criteria for intellectual disability, which could affect eligibility for execution under constitutional standards.
State prosecutors have opposed those claims, maintaining that prior rulings were properly decided.
Governor Ron DeSantis signed the death warrant earlier this year, scheduling the execution for early March.
If carried out, it would mark another execution in Florida in 2026.
The conviction and sentence are documented in court records.
The case involves no new arrests, and the inmate’s appeals remain under review as the execution date approaches.