Overview

• The U.S. Supreme Court denied Wainwright’s final appeals on Monday, removing the last legal obstacle to his scheduled execution on Tuesday.
• His defense has argued that undisclosed DNA evidence, flawed jury instructions and a jailhouse informant’s false testimony undermined the fairness of his 1995 trial.
• Wainwright and co-defendant Richard Hamilton escaped a North Carolina prison before kidnapping, raping and murdering 23-year-old Carmen Gayheart in Lake City, Florida, in April 1994.
• Carmen Gayheart’s sister, Maria David, has waited more than 30 years for justice and plans to attend the execution after meticulously tracking every court filing.
• Florida has carried out six executions so far in 2025 and six in 2023, reflecting an increase after only one execution in 2024.