A Florida man convicted of killing a 16-year-old girl who rejected his romantic advances and wounding two of her friends was set to be executed Tuesday evening. Harold Gene Lucas, 74, was scheduled to receive a three-drug injection starting at 6pm at Florida state prison near Starke. He was sentenced to die for the 1976 fatal shooting of Jill Piper and the wounding of her friends, Richard Byrd Jr and Terri Rice.
Lucas would be the 14th prisoner put to death in Florida this year, and Ron DeSantis, the Republican governor, has already signed death warrants for two more execution dates later this month. Lucas chose not to file any last-ditch court appeals, telling a judge after his death warrant was issued, that he wanted to waive all post-conviction proceedings. I am tired.” On Tuesday, Lucas awoke at 545am and was later visited by his sister and given a meal of steak and fries, Department of Corrections spokesman Jordan Kirkland said.
Lucas did not meet with a spiritual adviser, Kirkland added at an afternoon news briefing. Lucas was sentenced to death – and resentenced to death four more times – after being convicted of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted first-degree murder for the attack. According to court records, Lucas was 24 in August 1976 when he was arrested for trespassing at Piper’s Bonita Springs home, south of Fort Myers.
Lucas had known the teen for four years and worked for her family, officials said. Lucas and Piper had previously dated and Lucas told a friend he planned to marry Piper. About a week after the arrest, Lucas and Piper had two separate confrontations on the same day, several hours apart, investigators said.
Witnesses testified Lucas threatened to kill Piper. Piper asked Byrd and Rice to spend that night at her home for protection, officials said. Lucas eventually showed up with a rifle and shot Piper multiple times while she begged for her life and then shot and wounded her friends, investigators said.
Lucas was arrested the next day. Lucas was initially sentenced to death in 1977 with a 12-0 jury recommendation, court records show. The Florida supreme court later ruled the trial judge was wrong to consider the heinousness of the attempted murders while deciding the sentence for the murder.
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