Florida man's chilling last words as man who killed and raped campers given lethal injection

Loran Cole, a death row convict, uttered just two chilling words in response to whether he had any final words before his execution in Florida on Thursday.

Cole, aged 57, was condemned for the brutal murder of a college first-year student and the sexual assault of the victim's older sister whilst they were camping in a national forest three decades ago. He was administered a lethal injection and pronounced dead at 6.15 pm at Florida State Prison.

His last statement before being executed was a succinct: "No sir."

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The execution procedure started around 6 pm, with Cole briefly glancing at a witness in the front row. After three minutes, he took deep breaths, his cheeks billowed, and momentarily, his body shook intensely.

During the execution, noted as five minutes in progress, the warden shook Cole and loudly called out his name. Following this, Cole seemed to cease breathing and was shortly afterwards pronounced deceased.

Court records show that Cole and his accomplice, William Paul, had met the two college students in Ocala National Forest.

After spending time chatting by a fire, Cole and Paul suggested showing the siblings a pond. Once distanced from their campsite, the duo attacked and robbed the victims, the court documents record.

In a tragic incident, an 18-year-old Florida State University student was assaulted and had his life taken in a brutal manner, his throat slit, and left in the wilderness. His sister, a 21-years-old final year student at Eckerd College, was subjected to a harrowing ordeal back at the campsite where she was tied up and attacked, as detailed in court records.

She was confined to a tree throughout the night and faced further traumas the next morning. She displayed immense bravery, managing to escape and flagging down a motorist for assistance.

Authorities discovered her brother's body placed face-down on the forest floor, the court documents disclosed.

Both Paul and Cole received first-degree murder convictions, with Paul receiving a life sentence. While they were not present for the execution, the family of the victims delivered a powerful statement through prison officials.

Reflecting on the catastrophic impact of their son's death and their daughter's suffering, but also her resilience becoming a wife, educator, and academic.

Their statement proclaimed: "Though invisible to others, our daughter bears internal scars that will never go away. She battled years of fear, pain and sorrow. She is our hero. We are void of feelings and empathy for Mr. Cole. He placed himself into this arena. He does not deserve mercy."

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Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the death warrant for Cole last month.

The state saw its first execution since last October with the death of Cole, following the execution of Michael Zack for the 1996 killing of Ravonne Smith. Before his execution, Department of Corrections officials said Cole was "compliant" and noted he received two visitors, including his son.

Earlier on Thursday, the US Supreme Court rejected Cole's final appeal.

Cole's defence had pleaded for a stay of execution by highlighting several points. These included the traumatic experiences Cole endured as an inmate at a state-run reform school where he was subjected to beatings and sexual assault an establishment for which the state has issued apologies and legislated reparations this year.

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