A Florida man was executed Tuesday, nearly three decades after he was convicted of killing his girlfriend’s 5-month-old daughter and disposing of her body in a pond.
Execution Carried Out
Andrew Richard Lukehart, 53, was executed by lethal injection at Florida State Prison and was pronounced dead at 6:19 p.m.
Before the execution, Lukehart offered a brief apology and recited a Bible verse.
Convicted in Infant’s Death
Lukehart was sentenced to death in 1997 after being found guilty of first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse in the death of 5-month-old Gabrielle Hanshaw.
Prosecutors said the infant suffered multiple fatal blows to the head in February 1996 while Lukehart was caring for her.
Investigation Revealed False Story
Authorities said Lukehart initially claimed the baby had been kidnapped and told his girlfriend he was chasing the alleged abductor.
Later that day, after a vehicle crash, investigators learned the child’s body had been thrown into a pond.
Court records showed Lukehart later admitted to causing the injuries that led to the infant’s death.
One of Several Executions This Year
Florida officials reviewed the case before carrying out the execution after all legal appeals had been exhausted.
According to reports, Lukehart was the eighth person executed in Florida this year and the 15th execution carried out in the United States in 2026.
