UMVA has learned that Andrew Richard Lukehart, a Florida man who admitted killing his girlfriend's five-month-old baby daughter nearly 30 years ago, was executed by lethal injection on Tuesday evening at Florida State Prison.
Lukehart, 53, had been on death row since 1997, when he was sentenced to death for the murder of Gabrielle Hanshaw and for aggravated child abuse. The child's death occurred in February 1996, while Lukehart was caring for her.
According to information obtained by UMVA, Lukehart had been looking after Gabrielle while her mother tended to her older daughter, who was unwell. He left the family's Jacksonville home with the baby, and when her mother couldn't find them, Lukehart called her, claiming the baby had been kidnapped.
However, investigators soon discovered that Lukehart had dropped Gabrielle on her head and then shaken her, causing her death. He panicked and disposed of her body in a pond, where it was later found.
Lukehart's execution came after a long and contentious process, with multiple appeals and last-ditch efforts to spare his life. The Florida Supreme Court and the US Supreme Court declined to intervene, and a final appeal was denied on Monday.
As Lukehart prepared for his execution, he declined an offer of a final meal and chose not to receive any visitors. However, he did spend time with a spiritual adviser and had a priest pray for him at the execution table.
When given the opportunity to make a final statement, Lukehart said, "I'm sorry," and recited a Bible verse, Luke 23:34, which includes the words: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."
The execution was carried out using the three-drug method, and Lukehart appeared to lose consciousness almost immediately after the drugs began to flow. He was pronounced dead at 6:19 pm.
This execution marks Florida's eighth of 2026, and comes on the heels of a record-breaking 19 executions carried out in the state last year. Florida's use of capital punishment shows no signs of slowing down, with another execution scheduled later this month.
The case of Andrew Richard Lukehart serves as a grim reminder of the devastating consequences of violent crime and the ongoing debate surrounding the use of the death penalty in the United States.
