Almost 30 years after killing baby and throwing body in lake with false report, convict will be killed by injection
Justiça of Flórida has scheduled the execution by lethal injection of Andrew Richard Lukehart for June 2nd. Ele is 53 years old and was convicted of murdering five-month-old Gabrielle Hanshaw in February 1996. Governor Ron DeSantis signed the order on Friday. Lukehart was caring for the child at the time.
The case happened in Jacksonville. Lukehart, then 22, was on probation for previous abuse of another baby. Ele was trying to change Gabrielle’s diaper when the incident occurred. The child would not lie down. Ele repeatedly pushed her head and neck hard against the floor. The baby died.
Detalhes’s crime revealed at trial
Registros Courts show that Lukehart threw the girl’s body into a nearby lake after her death. Ele left the scene. Cerca 30 minutes later called his girlfriend. Disse that Gabrielle had been kidnapped by an unknown person. Afirmou who was chasing the suspect.
The initial version pointed to the kidnapping in front of his partner’s house. Depois he changed the story and spoke in a store. The contradictions caught the attention of the police. Lukehart confessed to the murder. In court, he said he panicked when he saw that the child had stopped breathing. Jogou took the diaper off, ran to the car and left.
The jury deliberated for about an hour and a half. Considerou the defendant guilty of aggravated murder and aggravated child abuse. In March 1997, jurors recommended the death penalty by 9 votes to 3. Lukehart listened to the sentence sitting down, with a neutral expression. The victim’s Familiares reacted with desperation.
- Lukehart was on parole for abusing another baby
- Empurrou repeatedly puts the child’s head against the floor
- Jogou the body in the lake near the residence
- Inventou hijack and changed version twice
- Confessou after contradictions in testimony
Flórida accelerates pace of executions in 2026
The state leads the number of executions in Estados Unidos in recent years. Todas Capital sentences are carried out by lethal injection. The protocol includes a sedative, paralyzing agent and a substance that stops the heart. Lukehart will be one of the executions scheduled for this year.
The order signed by DeSantis is one of the first of the month. The case once again highlights the Flórida criminal system. The convict spent almost three decades on death row. Recursos have been sold out over the years.
Reação of the families and context of the trial
Familiares of baby Gabrielle Hanshaw followed the process from the beginning. The victim’s mother received the news of the scheduled execution with relief, according to reports at the time. Lukehart’s defense tried to question aspects of the case, but the jurors accepted Ministério Público’s narrative.
The crime gained local repercussion at the time. The false kidnapping report mobilized initial searches. The discovery of the body changed the course of the investigation. Peritos confirmed the injuries consistent with the confession report.
Preparativos for execution in June
The scheduled date is June 2nd. The application must take place at 6 pm local time, at the state prison near Starke. Equipes doctors and witnesses follow standard protocol. Familiares of the victims and the convicted person may be present, according to state rules.
Lukehart is 53 years old today. Ele has remained in prison since his conviction in 1997. The case illustrates one of the crimes that marked the application of the death penalty to Flórida in recent decades.
