Floridaโข to Execute Bryan Jenningsโค for 1996 Kidnapping,โฃ Rape, โคand Murder of 6-Year-Old
BRUNSWICK, GA – florida Governor Ron DeSantis has signed a death warrantโ for Bryan Jennings, who wasโค convicted โคin the 1996 kidnapping, rape, โฃand murder of 6-year-old Becky Kunash on Merritt island. Jennings is scheduled โto be executed โคon November 13, joining Tremane Wood, โขwho is set to be executed โthe same dayโค in โฃOklahoma for a 2002 stabbing.
jennings’ case, marked by extremeโค brutality, is contributing to a national โขsurge โฃin โคexecutions. Ifโค carried out, Jennings will be the 16th inmate executed in Florida this year, surpassing the state’s โฃprevious โขrecord of โคeight. Nationally, at least six more executions areโ scheduled before the โend โขof โฃthe year, perhaps โขbringing the total to 46 โค- the highest number since 2010, though still below the peak of 98 in 1999.
The crime unfolded whenโ Jenningsโ abducted Kunash while she was walking home from school. Her body wasโค later discovered in aโ woodedโค area.Prosecutors presented evidence detailing a โ”savagely brutal” attack,securing Jennings’ conviction and subsequent death sentence.
Jennings’ criminal history extends โbeyond the Kunash murder. โApproximately 16 years prior โto the killing, he was convicted of a single-day crime spree โinโ Pensacola.โ The โspree included kidnappingโ aโ woman whoโ later escaped, breaking intoโข twoโ homes โand injuring a woman,โข and a failed attempt โคto kidnap a 14-year-old girl. At theโ time of โKunash’s murder, Jennings was on parole for aโค burglaryโ conviction.
The increase in executionsโ nationwide is attributed byโ experts to a shifting political landscape and a moreโฃ conservative โคSupreme Court.
The execution of Jennings and Wood are scheduled for November 13.
