Why did a Florida inmate deliberately kill to secure his own execution, and did the state simply grant his final wish?

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James Robertson said he killed to escape what he viewed as an unbearable future in prison, and evidence suggests he also believed death row offered better conditions than the long-term maximum-security confinement he was already living under. Court records say Robertson strangled fellow inmate Frank Hart in 2008 while Hart slept, using socks tied together. He told investigators the attack was unprovoked and that he did it so he would be charged with first-degree murder and sentenced to death rather than spend the rest of his life in prison. In later accounts, including a 2018 documentary, Robertson described harsh “close management” conditions: near-constant cell confinement, little sunlight, minimal recreation and the loss of basic privileges. Some reports tied his motive not only to wanting to die, but also to wanting transfer to death row, which he believed had better living conditions. Florida did, in a narrow sense, carry out the outcome Robertson sought. He pleaded guilty, waived a jury penalty phase, gave up post-conviction appeals and told a judge this month he did not want final appeals filed. The state executed him Tuesday by three-drug lethal injection. But it was not simply a matter of granting a wish. Hart’s killing triggered a capital murder prosecution, judicial sentencing and years of legal review before Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a death warrant. The case has intensified criticism from death-penalty opponents, who argue it undercuts claims that executions dete…

Florida Executes James Robertson, 63, for 2008 Prison Murder as State Logs 17th Death This Year

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Florida Executes James Robertson, 63, for 2008 Prison Murder as State Logs 17th Death This Year

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