Man convicted of killing a woman and her 4-year-old daughter is executed in Florida

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Richard Knight, 47, is scheduled to receive a three-drug lethal injection Thursday evening at Florida State Prison. Courtesy: Florida Department of Corrections

STARKE, Fla. - A Florida man convicted of fatally stabbing his cousin’s girlfriend and the couple's 4-year-old daughter was put to death Thursday evening, becoming the seventh person executed by the state this year.

Richard Knight, 47, was pronounced dead at 6:13 p.m. following a three-drug injection at Florida State Prison near Starke. Knight was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder in the June 2002 killings of Odessia Stephens and her daughter, Hanessia Mullings.

The curtain of the death chamber went up promptly at the scheduled 6:00 p.m. execution time. Knight was already strapped down with his arms extended and an IV line in place.

Asked by the warden if he wished to make a last statement, Knight declared, "I want to give thanks to Yahweh, who is the most high."

The execution began immediately after that. Knight closed his eyes and barely moved as the drugs began entering his system. After about 10 minutes, a medic was called into the room and the inmate was declared dead.

Florida death penalty history

What we know:

Knight was sentenced to death following his 2006 conviction on two counts of first-degree murder for killing Odessia Stephens and her 4-year-old child, Hanessia Mullings. Court records show Knight was living in Coral Springs near Fort Lauderdale with his cousin, Stephens and the young girl in June 2000. 

Stephens and Knight argued frequently about his living arrangements, and court officials said Knight attacked the mother and child after Stephens told him he had to move out. While held at the Broward County Jail, Knight confessed to the killings to an inmate who later testified against him. 

Pending federal court decisions

What we don't know:

Officials have not announced whether the U.S. Supreme Court will step in, as a final appeal remains pending before the nation's highest court. It is also unclear exactly how long the execution execution protocol will take once the three-drug injection begins at 6 p.m.. 

Last appeals rejected

The backstory:

The Florida Supreme Court denied Knight's legal appeals last Friday. The state's highest court turned away his claims regarding a fingerprint found on a knife at the scene, noting that the print was already addressed during his 2006 trial. 

The justices also rejected challenges targeting the state's warrant process and execution protocols.

Florida's seventh execution of the year followed a record 19 executions in the state in 2025. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis oversaw more executions in a single year in 2025 than any other Florida governor since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976. The previous Florida record was eight executions carried out in 2014.

National execution numbers

By the numbers:

• 19: The record number of executions carried out by Florida in 2025.
• 47: The total number of people executed across the United States in 2025.
• 5: The number of executions in Alabama, South Carolina and Texas, which tied for second place in 2025.