Florida executed its 17th inmate of 2025 on Thursday evening, surpassing its previous modern record for executions in a single year. The state put 63-year-old Richard Barry Randolph to death by lethal injection for the 1988 rape and murder of Palatka convenience store manager Minnie Ruth McCollum.
Randolph was pronounced dead at 6:12 p.m. at Florida State Prison after receiving a three-drug lethal injection. State officials reported no complications. When offered the chance to make a final statement, Randolph declined.
The previous modern record for executions in Florida was eight in 2014. Since the death penalty was reinstated nationally in 1976, the state has never carried out as many executions in a single year as it has in 2025.
The 1988 crime
According to court records, Randolph, a former employee at the store, was trying to break into a safe in August 1988 when McCollum entered and interrupted the attempt. Prosecutors said Randolph brutally beat, strangled, stabbed, and sexually assaulted her before fleeing in her vehicle.
Three women outside the store saw Randolph leaving and contacted authorities after noticing the store in disarray. A responding deputy found McCollum alive but critically injured. She was taken to a hospital, where she died six days later from severe brain trauma.
Randolph was arrested soon afterward at a Jacksonville grocery store, where investigators said he tried to cash stolen lottery tickets and borrow money. He later told police what happened and led investigators to evidence, including discarded bloody clothing. He was convicted in 1989 of murder, sexual battery, armed robbery, and grand theft.
Final day and last appeals
Corrections officials said Randolph woke at 6:30 a.m. on the day of his execution. His final meal consisted of a cheeseburger, French fries, and ice cream. He received one visitor but declined to meet with a spiritual adviser. Three of McCollum’s family members attended the execution.
The Florida Supreme Court rejected Randolph’s final appeal just one week earlier. His attorneys argued that the lower court improperly limited access to public records and that earlier defense lawyers acted without Randolph’s consent, but the court dismissed the claims.
Florida leads the nation in executions
With 17 executions so far this year, Florida leads the country, ahead of Alabama, South Carolina, and Texas, each with five. The state’s execution calendar is not finished, as Gov. Ron DeSantis has already signed two additional death warrants.
Mark Allen Geralds is scheduled to be executed on Dec. 9 for a fatal stabbing during a home invasion, and Frank Athen Walls is set for execution on Dec. 18 for killing two people during a robbery.
If both proceed as planned, Florida will close 2025 with 19 executions—more than double its previous historical high.
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