Florida executes man in killing

STARKE — Florida has executed an inmate who was convicted of killing two people after a night of drinking decades ago.

Michael Lambrix, 57, died Thursday by lethal injection at 10:10 p.m. at Florida State Prison in Bradford County.

For his final words, Lambrix said, “I wish to say the Lord’s Prayer.” He recited the words, ending on the line “deliver us from evil,” his voice breaking slightly at times.

Lambrix was the second inmate put to death by the state since it restarted executions in August.

Before then, the state had stopped all executions for months after a Supreme Court ruling that found Florida’s method of sentencing people to death was unconstitutional. In response, the state Legislature passed a new law requiring death sentences to have a unanimous jury vote.

Lambrix’s attorney, William Hennis, argued in an appeal to the nation’s high court that because his client’s jury recommendations for death were not unanimous — the juries in his two trials voted 8-4 and 10-2 for death — they should be thrown out. The Florida Supreme Court has ruled that Lambrix’s case is too old to qualify for relief from the new sentencing system.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday night denied Lambrix’s last-ditch appeal.

Lambrix was convicted of killing Clarence Moore and Aleisha Bryant in 1983.