All PRISONERS EXECUTED in February 2026 (US): Last Meals & Final Words
In this video, we’ll review the cases of [music] death row inmates who, after years awaiting execution, were put to death during the month of February. We’ll examine the crimes they committed, the victims they left behind, the legal process that led to their sentences, as well as their final meals, and the last words they spoke before death.
Charles Victor Thompson, state, Texas. In 1997, Charles Victor Thompson, then 27 years old and working in salesreated jobs, met 39-year-old Glenda Denise Hlip in the nightlife scene of [music] bars in Houston, Texas. Denise worked as a nail technician and was the mother of a teenage boy named Wade Hlip, who was 13 years old at the time.
Her parents had divorced approximately 1 year before Thompson entered their lives. At first, Charles formed a friendship with Denise, which gradually turned into a romantic relationship. Thompson [music] claimed that he would take care of both her and her son. However, over time, the relationship became toxic [music] and destructive, marked by control, jealousy, and physical violence.
Thompson was an alcoholic and addicted to drugs, especially cocaine, which worsened his increasingly possessive and aggressive behavior toward Denise. During the relationship, Thompson assaulted Denise on multiple occasions. She arrived at work several times with visible bruises on her face. Thompson himself admitted to slapping her, causing a black eye and a cut lip in a single incident prior to the murders, although he claimed it was the first time he had ever hit a woman.
After approximately one year together, Denise decided to end the relationship permanently due [music] to Thompson’s constant violence and control. It was then that she met Darren Keith Kaine, a 30-year-old bartender who worked at the same bar where she and Thompson had first met and which they both used to frequent.
Denise and Darren began as friends and over time started a romantic relationship. According to those who knew him, Cain was described as loyal, calm, and protective, a complete contrast to the life Dennis had previously experienced. Thompson did not accept the separation. He continued stalking Denise, calling her constantly and showing up uninvited at her apartment located in the Waterman Crossing complex.
There, he would confront her, repeatedly demanding answers about her relationship with Darren and threatening to harm her if she did not return to him. On the night of Wednesday, April 29th, 1998, something happened that would change the course of the story. At around 2:30 a.m., Darren Kaine was asleep when he received a phone call from Dennis.
Through tears, she begged for help. Thompson was inside her apartment, beating her and threatening her. When Cain arrived at Denise’s apartment on Wonderlick Drive, he came face to face with Thompson. Denise was terrified and crying, which caused a violent physical fight to break out between the two men, lasting approximately 15 minutes.
Eventually, Cain managed to overpower Thompson. Defeated, Charles began begging not to be hit anymore. He apologized and adopted a completely different attitude, claiming that he would accept Dennis’s decision to be with Darren and not with him. In response to this apparent surrender, Darren compassionately extended his hand.
The three of them sat outside the apartment and began talking while sharing a beer. At around 3:00 a.m., a Harris County Sheriff’s deputy responded to a domestic disturbance call. Upon arrival, he found Thompson and Cain sitting in front of Denise’s apartment, appearing calm, and reconciled. What authorities did not know was that Thompson had never accepted the situation. [music] It was all a facade.
Deep down, he remained furious, humiliated by the fight, and consumed by jealousy. After the officer escorted Charles out of the apartment complex, Thompson did not go home. Instead, he drove to his residence, retrieved a firearm, a semi-automatic pistol, and returned to Dennis Hastlip’s apartment approximately 3 hours later in the early morning hours of April 30th, 1998.
It was around 6:00 a.m. when Thompson returned. Denise and Darren likely believed the danger had passed and that they could finally rest after the night’s confrontation. Thompson approached the apartment’s front door and without hesitation kicked it in with force, shattering the lock and forcing his way inside.
The sound of the door breaking should have immediately alerted Denise and Darren that something terrible was about to happen. Darren Kaine, who was in the living room, stood up when he heard the crash. At that moment, Thompson burst into the apartment with a gun in his hand, aiming directly at him.
Without saying a single word or giving him any chance to react, Thompson fired at Darren Kaine four times. The bullets struck his neck and chest, causing extremely severe injuries. Two shots passed through his chest, and when Cain tried to flee, Thompson shot him once in the back. Darren collapsed to the floor, badly wounded and agonizing.
Even so, in a desperate act of survival and protection for Denise, Cain managed to grab Thompson’s foot, trying to prevent him from going after her as Dennis had just come out of the bedroom and was heading toward the kitchen. With Darren’s [music] body lying on the floor, Thompson broke free. He then placed the gun against the back of his head at the base of the neck and fired one final shot at pointblank range.
Darren Keith Kaine died instantly at the scene. While Darren’s murder was taking place, Denise ran from one of the bedrooms toward the kitchen, trying to grab a knife to defend herself. She had a scrap-like injury on her leg, and investigators later found a bullet lodged in the baseboard of the pantry, suggesting that Thompson fired as she was fleeing.
[music] However, Thompson managed to catch up with her and restrain her. During the attack, he reloaded his weapon. Forensic evidence showed that the gun had to be deliberately reloaded, indicating premeditation and a conscious pause before continuing the violence. Thompson pressed the barrel of the gun against Denise right cheek and said, “I can shoot you too, bitch.
” He then pulled the trigger. The bullet entered through her right cheek, causing devastating internal damage. The impact destroyed her teeth and severely injured her tongue, resulting in massive bleeding. Despite the severity of her wounds, Denise Hayeslip survived the initial attack. She remained conscious, though in critical condition when a neighbor identified in court records as Coker arrived at the scene and called for help.
Coker had heard the gunshots and immediately ran to Denise’s apartment. When he arrived, he found her sitting in a pool of blood with a bullet hole in her right cheek and a large amount of blood coming from her mouth. Charles Thompson was also present at the scene. Coker asked Denise if Thompson had shot her and she nodded her head, confirming it.
Shortly afterward, Thompson fled the area. He drove to the nearby Cypress Creek area where he threw the murder weapon into the water in an attempt to dispose of the evidence. However, his behavior afterward was unusual. He did not attempt to evade justice. Instead of running, he drove directly to the home of an acquaintance and confidant to whom he confessed in detail everything he had just done.
After that confession, Thompson contacted his father, who later helped facilitate his surrender to authorities that same morning. Thompson ultimately turned himself in at a police station alongside his father, stating in his own words that he wanted to make himself available for questioning. While Thompson was confessing his crime, Denise Heslip was fighting for her life.
Emergency services were alerted immediately and Dennis was airlifted by helicopter to Herman Hospital in Houston for urgent medical treatment. Despite the efforts of medical staff, Denise fell into a coma due to severe brady cardia, a dangerous drop in heart rate that caused irreversible brain damage from lack of oxygen.
Denise Hayeslip remained hospitalized for a full week connected to life support. During those days, her family faced the devastating decision of whether to withdraw medical assistance. On May 6th, 1998, exactly one week after the shooting, Glenda Denise Hlip died as a result of complications from the gunshot wound and the medical treatment that followed.
She was 39 years old at the time of her death. Wade Hlip, only 13 years old, was at school when he received the devastating news. A classmate approached him and [music] said, “There was a shooting. One person died. Your mom was shot.” Wade knew immediately. He had already warned his mother about Thompson. He had witnessed the abuse.
And now his worst fears had come true. There is definitely a part of me that is still in 1998,” Wayade Hastlip said in an interview one week later, describing how the trauma of that morning has followed him for decades. Thompson was arrested on April 30th, 1998, the same day as the shootings. A Harris County Sheriff’s deputy testified that the murder weapon was eventually recovered from Cypress Creek with the help of an informant, likely based on information Thompson himself provided during his confession. [music] Charles
Victor Thompson went on trial in Harris County in 1999, charged with capital murder. He was 28 years old at the time of the court proceedings. From the beginning, the state of Texas announced it would seek the death penalty. In July 1998, while Thompson remained in jail awaiting trial, he was reported by a fellow inmate named Jack Reed, who shared a cell with him.
Reed told police that Thompson was attempting to arrange the murder of Diane Xernia, a woman listed as a key witness in his capital murder case. After receiving the tip, authorities organized an undercover operation. They sent an agent identified as Gary Johnson equipped with recording devices who posed as a hired hitman. During a secretly recorded meeting on July 7th, 1998, Thompson told Johnson directly that there was a witness in his case who needed to be eliminated, confirming his attempt to obstruct justice.
>> Witness the only witness they got. That’s kind of more important. >> So, it’s more important to kill her than than get the gun back. If I go ahead and take her out and you get out, is a chance I [clears throat] you could tighten me up then? >> Oh, hell yeah. >> Okay. What are we talking about? How much? >> Your price.
>> Well, you at the address. Okay. 1500. >> On April 14th, 1999, after hearing all the evidence and testimony, the jury found Charles Victor Thompson guilty of capital murder and sentenced him to death. After receiving his second death sentence, Charles Victor Thompson remained housed in the Harris County Jail while awaiting transfer to death row at the Palunksky unit in Livingston, Texas.
What happened next would become one of the most shocking prison escapes ever carried out by a death row inmate in the state. On November 3rd, 2005, Thompson put his plan into action. Using a fake ID, civilian clothes hidden in his cell, and taking advantage of staff negligence, he managed to remove his handcuffs, change out of his jail uniform, and walk out of the visitation area as if he were an employee of the court system.
Completely calm, he passed by several guards without a single one verifying his identity and eventually exited the jail through the main entrance, becoming a free man in broad daylight. The escape immediately sparked panic among jurors from the case and the victim’s families. The US Marshalss offered a $10,000 reward and distributed his photo nationwide.
For 3 days, Thompson remained on the run. He traveled nearly 200 m from Houston to Shreveport, Louisiana. Though it was never definitively determined how he managed to cover that distance. During that time, he attempted to obtain money from overseas and even posed as a victim of Hurricane Katrina to avoid raising suspicion.
His freedom ended on November 6th, 2005 when authorities located him outside a liquor store in Shreveport. Thompson was arrested without resistance, visibly intoxicated, and admitted his identity when confronted by agents. After his recapture, Thompson was finally transferred to the Allen B. Pollinsky unit in Livingston, [music] Texas, where he spent nearly 20 years on death row.
On September 11th, 2025, Charles Victor Thompson officially received his execution warrant, setting his death by lethal injection for January 28th, 2026. at the Huntsville unit in Texas. Finally, on January 28th, 2026, 55-year-old Charles Victor Thompson was executed by lethal injection. That morning, at around 6:30 a.m.
, Thompson was awakened by prison staff. During his final hours, he spent time reading, speaking with his attorneys, and meeting with his spiritual adviser. For his last meal, he ate the regular prison menu as the state of Texas does not offer a special last meal. He did not receive visits from any family members. At approximately 6:00 p.m.
, Thompson was escorted to the execution chamber, placed on a padded gurnie, and secured with straps. Intravenous lines were inserted to administer the lethal injection. When asked if he wished to make a final statement, he spoke clearly. These were his final words before the execution. I’m sorry for what I did. I’m sorry for what happened.
And I want to tell all of y’all, I love you and keep Jesus in your life. Keep Jesus first. There are no winners in this situation. This creates more victims and traumatizes more people 28 years later. I hope one day you can find it in your hearts to forgive me so that you can heal and move forward. I’m sorry for what I did.
The lethal injection was then administered. Witnesses reported slight signs of discomfort and irregular breathing during the first minutes before he lost consciousness. At 6:15 p.m., authorities officially pronounced Charles Victor Thompson dead. Ronald Palmer Heath, State, Florida. On December 17th, 1977, in Jacksonville, Florida, a 16-year-old teenager named Ronald Palmer Heath committed [music] his first murder.
The victim was Michael Green, an 18-year-old young man Heath had met earlier that same day. The two spent several hours together and appeared to have become friends, though the true motive behind the killing was never fully clarified. Heath later claimed that he attacked Green because, according to him, the victim made sexual advances toward him.
He stabbed Green repeatedly, though the initial wounds were not fatal. Instead of seeking help or fleeing, Heath placed the severely injured young man into his car and drove aimlessly through the streets of Jacksonville for more than an hour, seemingly unable to confront what he had done.
Eventually, Heath stopped the vehicle, pulled Green out, and stabbed him multiple times again. He then attempted to set the car on fire with Green inside, but the victim managed to escape the flames. The violence did not end there. Heath caught up with him, stabbed him once more, and in a final act of extreme brutality, beat him to death with a tree branch, leaving his body at the scene.
The sheer savagery of the crime committed by someone so young shocked the court. Heath pleaded guilty to seconddegree murder and at just 16 years old was sentenced to 30 years in prison. However, he served only about a decade. In 1988, he was released on parole nearly 20 years early, a decision that would later have fatal consequences.
Ronald Heath had been free for only 6 months when he killed again. On the night of May 24th, 1989, Heath, then 28 years old, was at the Purple Porpus Lounge, a bar in Gainesville, Florida, with his [music] younger brother, Kenneth Heath, who was 24. The brothers lived a transient lifestyle. They worked sporadically, drank heavily, and that night they were not simply looking for entertainment.
Also inside the bar was Michael Sheridan, a 30-year-old traveling salesman from Atlanta, Georgia, who had stopped there to eat dinner and have a few drinks. Sheridan was outgoing and trusting. He quickly struck up a conversation with the Heath brothers, bought them [music] a drink, and asked if they had marijuana or were interested in smoking.
For Ronald Heath, that exchange was enough. Quietly, he suggested to his brother that they take Sheridan to a secluded location with the intention of robbing him. Kenneth agreed. The three men left the bar in Kenneth’s vehicle, though Ronald took the driver’s seat. He drove them to a remote wooded area south of Gainesville in Elatchua County.
Once there, they got out of the car and smoked marijuana for several minutes, appearing calm and relaxed, as if nothing was about to happen. When Ronald decided the time had come, he signaled his brother with a hand gesture shaped like a gun, silently asking if he had the weapon. Kenneth then pulled [music] out a 38 caliber revolver and aimed it at Michael Sheridan, demanding his wallet, his gold chain, and his [music] watch.
Sheridan refused, confused and in shock, unable to fully grasp what was happening. Following Ronald’s instructions, Kenneth shot Sheridan in the chest. The salesman collapsed to the ground, clutching his wound and crying out in pain as he struggled to remove his jewelry and empty his pockets. For Ronald, [music] it wasn’t happening fast enough.
He walked up to the victim, kicked him as he lay on the ground, and pulled out a hunting knife. He attempted to slit Sheridan’s throat, but the blade was too dull. After failing, Ronald ordered his brother to finish the job. Kenneth complied. He fired two shots into Michael Sheridan’s head, killing him at the scene.
After the murder, the Heath brothers concealed Sheridan’s body in thick brush in the wooded area. They then returned to the Purple Purpose Lounge where they stole items from the victim’s rental car. Michael Sheridan’s body was discovered on May 30th, 1989 in an advanced [music] state of decomposition. The medical examiner determined that death had occurred between 3 [music] and 10 days earlier and was caused by multiple gunshot wounds and a deep stab wound to the neck.
Just 2 days after killing Sheridan, the Heath brothers murdered again. On May 26th, 1989, Ronald and Kenneth met 26-year-old Anthony Hammet at a bar in the Arlington neighborhood of Jacksonville. Following the same pattern, they convinced him to leave the bar and drove him to a secluded area. When Hammet realized he was being robbed and tried to run, he was executed with a single gunshot to the back.
His body was left at the scene. Ronald Heath was formally charged with the murder of Anthony Hammet. However, prosecutors later dropped the charges when Kenneth Heath again refused to testify against his brother, claiming he had received threats against his life. The decision left the crime without a conviction and the Hammet [music] family without justice.
In the case of Michael Sheridan, the police investigation moved forward because of a simple but critical mistake. The Heath brothers attempted to use one of Sheridan’s stolen credit cards to purchase a car stereo. The transaction was declined, triggering an alert that drew the attention of investigators. From that moment on, the Gainesville Police Department, working alongside the Elatchua County Sheriff’s Office, tracked the purchases made with Michael Sheridan’s credit cards at Oaks Mall.
This trail allowed investigators to reconstruct the suspect’s movements after the murder and began connecting the key pieces of the case. Several weeks after the killing, Ronald Heath was located and arrested in Douglas, Georgia. He was living in a trailer with a woman identified as Powell. During the arrest, officers recovered clothing purchased with the stolen credit cards, [music] Michael Sheridan’s watch, and other items directly linked to the homicide.
Kenneth Heath was also taken into custody [music] and charged for his role in the murder, effectively closing the main circle of suspects in the Sheridan case. Ronald Palmer Heath’s trial took place in 1990 in an Elatchua County courtroom in Florida. The central pillar of the prosecution’s case was the testimony of Kenneth Heath, Ronald’s younger brother, who agreed to a plea deal in exchange for testifying against Ronald he would receive a life sentence and avoid [music] the death penalty.
On November 15th, 1990, the jury found Ronald Heath guilty of first-degree murder. [music] 2 days later on December 17th, 1990, Judge Robert Kates sentenced him to death for the murder of Michael Sheridan. Ronald Heath spent more than 35 years on death row. During that time, his attorneys filed multiple appeals and legal challenges in an effort to overturn the conviction.
All were denied. The Florida Supreme Court rejected his requests repeatedly, including his final appeal in January 2026. His younger brother, Kenneth Heath, is serving a life sentence at Tamoka Correctional Institution. Under the terms of his plea agreement, he became eligible for parole after serving 25 years in prison.
Although that period has already passed, there is no public information confirming that he has been released. Finally, on January 9th, 2026, [music] Florida Governor Ronda Santis signed Ronald Palmer Heath’s death warrant, [music] the first execution order of the year in the state. The execution was scheduled for Tuesday, February 10th, 2026 at 6:00 p.m.
Eastern time at Florida State Prison located near the city of Stark in Bradford County. Tuesday, February 10th, 2026 marked the day of Ronald Palmer Heath’s [music] execution. He was 64 years old. He woke up at 7:00 a.m., took a shower, read [music] the Bible, and received a single visit, that of his spiritual adviser. The day before, Heath had eaten his last meal.
As his special request, he chose hamburgers with French fries. At 3 p.m. he was removed from his cell in preparation for the execution scheduled for 6 p.m. The method was lethal injection carried out under a three drug protocol at Florida State Prison. At 5:50 p.m. Heath was escorted into the execution chamber. At 6:00 p.m. [music] efforts began to establish intravenous lines.
After several minutes, the drugs began to flow. The entire procedure lasted approximately 6 minutes. During that time, Heath moved slightly, gasped, and frowned, showing minimal signs of discomfort before losing consciousness. He remained silent with his eyes closed throughout the process. Asked by the warden if Heath had any final statement, he said, “I’m sorry.
That’s all I can say. Thank you.” At 6:30 p.m., a physician officially pronounced him dead. Among the witnesses were Thomas and Nancy Sheridan, the brother and sister of Michael Sheridan. Both grew up in upstate New York and spent decades fighting to see Ronald Heath’s execution carried out, sending letters and making repeated calls to the Florida governor’s office.
For them, that day marked the end of a wait that had lasted more than 30 years. Kendrick Antonio Simpson, state, Oklahoma. Kendrick Antonio Simpson was born in 1980 and grew up in the ninth ward of New Orleans, Louisiana, one of the city’s most violent and impoverished neighborhoods.
His childhood was marked by crime and drugs and from a young age, he became immersed in that environment. At 16, [music] he committed a violent home invasion robbery. During the attack, he shot a store owner at pointlank [music] range. The victim survived, but the incident made it clear that [music] violence had already become part of Simpson’s behavior.
In 2004, [music] Simpson was the victim of a shooting in New Orleans. He was shot in the head, abdomen, and leg, fell into a coma, and underwent 16 surgeries. He survived, but was left with permanent physical damage and severe paranoia. Months later, Hurricane Katrina destroyed his home and left him stranded for days without food or water until he found shelter at a convention center.
In late 2005, at 27 years old, he relocated to Oklahoma City as a refugee. On the night of January 15th, 2006, Simpson went out with two friends, Jonathan Dalton and Latango Robertson, in Dalton’s white Monte Carlo. Before heading to Fritz, a hip-hop nightclub in northwest Oklahoma City, Simpson stopped by his house to change clothes.
That was when he grabbed an AK-style assault rifle and took it with him. The three men first attended a private party. When they left, Simpson placed the rifle in the trunk of the Monte Carlo, which could be accessed from the back seat. They arrived at Fritzies around midnight [music] on January 16th. As Simpson walked through the club, he passed London Johnson, Anthony Jones, and Glenn Palmer.
One of them made a comment about the Chicago Cubs cap Simpson was wearing. According to prosecutors, the cap [music] was linked to a rival gang. Simpson returned to his table and told his friends that someone had given him trouble over his hat. Shortly after, Simpson approached Palmer, Jones, and Johnson. During the second confrontation, he threatened them, saying he was going to chop them, a street term referring to shooting someone with an AK-47 style rifle.
After making the threat, he walked away, but then returned once more. This time he extended his hand toward Palmer and told him they should settle the issue. Palmer responded by punching him in the mouth, knocking him to the floor. Furious and humiliated, Simpson told Dalton and Robertson that he wanted to leave.
The three men exited the club and walked to the Monte Carlo in the parking lot. While they were there, they spoke with some girls who were also leaving the club, and the girls told them to follow them to a 7-Eleven located [music] at 23rd Street and Portland. When they arrived at the 7-Eleven, Simpson, Dalton, and Robertson parked in the back of the store.
That’s when they saw Palmer, Jones, and Johnson pull in driving Palmer’s Chevrolet Caprice. Dalton urged Simpson to calm down, but Simpson was enraged and wanted revenge. When Palmer left the parking lot and entered Interstate 44, Simpson ordered Dalton to follow them. During the chase, Simpson, sitting in the front passenger seat, demanded that Robertson, who was in the back seat, hand him the rifle.
Robertson passed it forward. Dalton followed the Caprice until they exited the interstate at Pennsylvania Avenue. There, Dalton pulled the Monte Carlo into the left lane alongside the Caprice. Simpson leaned the rifle out of the open passenger window and opened fire. Palmer, who was driving, was hit four times.
One bullet grazed his right shoulder, two struck the left side of his back, and one fatal round pierced his chest. At first, he was conscious. He could speak and knew he had been shot. He was afraid the shooters would come back, but his breathing became labored. [music] He began making gurgling sounds as his chest filled with blood, and eventually he lost consciousness.
Jones in the front passenger seat was struck multiple times, including wounds to the head and torso. His death was almost immediate. According to the medical examiner, his injuries were not survivable, and he likely died within seconds of the gunfire. Johnson desperately tried to perform CPR on both men, but it was useless.
He flagged down a passing car and asked for help. Palmer and Jones were pronounced dead at the scene. Dalton kept driving to a residence in Midwest City where they left the rifle and switched vehicles. After that, the three men went to meet up with the girls they had met earlier at Fritzies. Simpson was arrested shortly after the shooting.
During police questioning, he admitted that he had been at Fritz with Dalton and Robertson and that he had been punched in the face that night, but he denied committing the murders. However, his two accompllices, [music] Dalton and Robertson, were initially charged with two counts of first-degree murder and later testified against Simpson at trial.
The trial took place in 2007 in Oklahoma County District Court for the murders. The jury found Simpson guilty on all counts. Two counts of firstdegree murder with malice of forethought and one count of shooting with intent to kill. After his conviction, Simpson [music] spent years filing appeals, but each one was denied.
During his nearly 20 years on Oklahoma’s death [music] row, he earned his GED and published a book of poems, essays, and short stories. >> Whether I live for four more weeks or 40 years, they will be a part of my testimony. I’m profoundly sorry, and I ask for your mercy. His execution was ultimately scheduled for February 12th, 2026 [mu
sic] at 10:00 a.m. under an order issued on November 19th, 2025 by the Oklahoma Court of [music] Criminal Appeals. On the morning of February 12th, Kendrick woke up at 5:00 a.m. He showered and met with his spiritual adviser. At 7:00 a.m., he was allowed to visit with his four children and one granddaughter, who remained with him until 8:30 a.m.
For his final meal, Simpson had a bacon cheeseburger, a large order of onion rings, and a strawberry milkshake. Around 9:30 a.m., Kendrick was escorted to the execution chamber. He was placed on a padded gurnie and secured with straps. Through an opening in the wall, three intravenous lines were inserted and prepared to deliver the lethal injection.
Oklahoma uses a three drug protocol. Mazolum as a sedative, veeronium bromide to stop breathing, and potassium chloride to stop the heart. According to witnesses, Kendrick appeared uncomfortable during the administration of the lethal injection, showing slight signs of distress. He made several body movements and experienced irregular breathing in the first few minutes of the procedure before eventually losing consciousness.
At 10:33 a.m., authorities officially pronounced him dead. He was 45 years old at the time of his death. Several members of Glenn Palmer’s family were present at the execution along with Anthony Jones’s sister, Telasha Jones. Melvin Lee Troder, state, Florida. In June 1986, Melvin Troder, 25 years old, a man with no formal education and devoted to life on the streets, would become the central figure in a tragedy.
By that age, he already had a criminal record for minor thefts. That year, the United States was going through one of the worst periods of the crack epidemic, [music] and Troder was just another user committing small crimes to support his addiction. On June 16th, 1986, Troder entered a small grocery store owned by Vie Langford, a 70-year-old shopkeeper well known in the community of Palmetto, Florida.
She and her husband had run the business for more than 30 years. Recently widowed and with her children already grown, she was the one who continued to run the store. Troder knew the business well, as it was a local establishment frequented by workers and neighbors in the area. [music] His intention was to get money quickly to buy more drugs.
When he entered the store, he began taking valuable items discreetly, hiding them in his sweater so he could later sell them and get money for his addiction. Vie Langford also knew Troder well. She had practically watched him grow up and was aware of his addiction. On previous occasions, he had already come in to steal, and she had noticed, but she had decided to turn a blind eye and act as if she did not realize what was happening.
But that day, she had had enough of the situation. While Troder was stealing, Vie was in the meat section arranging merchandise and asked him to come talk to her. She confronted him about the thefts he had been committing in the store and demanded that he leave, warning him that if he returned, she would call the police. At that moment, Troder, apparently under the influence of drugs and in an excessive act, took a butcher knife from the store itself, managed to grab the elderly woman and attacked her.
He grabbed her by the neck and stabbed her repeatedly in the abdomen, causing devastating injuries. Despite [music] the brutality of the attack, Langford remained conscious, lying on the floor with exposed organs and bleeding heavily. Trotder did not care and began looting the cash register, taking about $100 in cash and food stamps before fleeing.
A truck driver entered the store shortly after the attack and found Mrs. Langford bleeding on the floor at the back of the establishment. In a final act of lucidity and strength, the elderly woman was able to answer questions from the witness and the first officers who arrived at the scene. She said she had known for years the person responsible for what had happened.
She described her attacker as a short African-American man who was wearing a Tropicana company employee ID with the name Melvin. Shortly afterward, she lost consciousness. She was rushed to a hospital still alive, but died hours later from cardiac arrest following emergency surgery that had attempted to save her life.
[music] After the crime, Trotter did not try to flee the city. Desperate, he sought drugs almost immediately and was seen by acquaintances smoking crack with money and food stamps wrapped in a red bandana. Police traced the name provided by the victim to his workplace at a nearby plant, confirming his identity. During the investigation, detectives found strong evidence.
a palm print inside the store, clothing with blood stains consistent with the victim, and testimonies placing him with the stolen money shortly after the attack. He was arrested days later and charged with first-degree murder and armed robbery. During the trial, the prosecution presented the attack as an extremely violent crime committed against a vulnerable victim.
As often happens in these cases, the defense presented Troder’s personal history marked by a childhood of abuse and abandonment, a low IQ, and severe drug addiction, arguing that he acted impulsively and under the effects of that dependency. They also pointed out that despite having formal employment, his addiction ultimately took control of his life.
Finally, on May 18th, 1987, the jury found him guilty and he was sentenced to death. Now, how is it possible that after being sentenced to death so long ago, he was executed almost 40 years later? The main reason is that his attorneys filed appeals continuously. These appeals stretched on for decades.
In addition, during different periods, Florida governors did not frequently sign execution warrants, and there were years in which only one person was executed in the entire state. All of this ultimately turned his case into one of the oldest on Florida’s death row. In 1993, he was granted a new trial, [music] but he was again sentenced to death.
Finally, on Friday, January 23rd, 2026, Governor Ronda Santis signed the death warrant for Melvin Troder, scheduling his execution for February 24th, 2026. With this decision, [music] Dantis set a new execution record as 19 were carried out in Florida in 2025, making it the state that [music] performed the most executions that year.
He also indicated that in 2026, he would continue at the same pace. Today, February 24th, 2026, Melvin Troder, 65 years old, woke up for the last time at 5:00 a.m., showered, and prepared for his execution. According to reports, he did not receive any visitors in his final hours. In his last meal before being executed, Troder requested a simple meal, which was served to him hours before the procedure, consisting of fish, cornbread, cake, and a soft drink.
At 5:00 p.m., he was transferred within Florida State Prison. And at 6:00 p.m., he was escorted into the execution chamber where he was secured to a gurnie with leather straps. Two intravenous lines were then inserted into his arms from an adjacent room. The execution team and medical personnel monitored the process through a glass window.
At that moment, he was asked if he had any final words. Troder remained silent for about 30 seconds and ultimately declined to make a final statement. After the lethal injection was administered, Troder moved slightly for several minutes until a doctor pronounced him dead at 6:20 p.m. on February 24th, 2026. After nearly 40 years on death row, he was executed at the age of 65.
Throughout the entire process, there was speculation about possible intervention by the governor, but in the end, there was none. In the execution chamber, journalists and members of Vie Langford’s family were present. This was the final execution of the month of February. [music] Leave me in the comments what you think about the case.
Was justice served or not? Additionally, in the description, you’ll find a compilation of all the executions carried out in February of this year, as well as every execution that took place in 2025. Five.
