FCCB Urges Governor DeSantis to Spare the Life of Edward James

Edward James is scheduled to be executed on March 20 for the 1993 murders of Betty Dick and her eight-year-old granddaughter, Toni Neuner. 

The FCCB recognizes the terrible pain and loss imposed by the actions of Mr. James. "We mourn the tragic deaths of Mrs. Dick and Toni and the suffering of their family members, and we pray for their comfort," wrote Michael Sheedy, FCCB executive director, in a letter to Governor Ron DeSantis. 

Nevertheless, the intrinsic dignity of every human being is not annihilated by even gravely evil acts. "It is better for the people of Florida to punish severely without themselves acting to kill a human being," Sheedy wrote. 

The state of Florida can serve justice and keep its communities safe by commuting Mr. James' sentence to the severe punishment of life imprisonment without parole. 

"We appeal to you that it is possible both to achieve the purposes of punishment and to exercise mercy," Sheedy concluded. "We can entrust the final judgment of every individual to God."