A Florida inmate, 63-year-old Richard Barry Randolph, is scheduled for execution on Thursday evening at the Florida Department of Corrections facility near Starke after exhausting his appeals. Randolph was condemned for the brutal 1988 armed robbery, rape and murder of his former manager at a Palatka convenience store. He will become the 17th person executed in Florida this year, setting a new state record for capital punishment in a single year.
Convicted Killer’s Crime Details
In August 1988, Randolph broke into the Handy-Way convenience store in Palatka — a place where he had once been employed — and attempted to open the safe. The store’s manager, 60-year-old Minnie Ruth McCollum, discovered the intrusion and was confronted. According to court records, Randolph then beat, strangled, stabbed and raped McCollum before fleeing in her car. Three witnesses inside the store alerted law enforcement when they observed the turmoil. McCollum was found in a coma and died six days later of severe brain injuries. Randolph was apprehended shortly after in Jacksonville, where stolen lottery tickets and discarded bloody clothing were linked to him.
Legal Proceedings & Execution Context
Randolph was convicted in 1989 of murder, armed robbery, sexual battery and grand theft, and subsequently sentenced to death. The Florida Supreme Court recently rejected his final appeal, and the execution warrant signed by Governor Ron DeSantis scheduled the lethal injection at 6 p.m. at Florida State Prison near Starke. With this impending action, Florida will surpass its previous modern-era record of eight executions in one year and lead all states in 2025 for the number of executions carried out.
Implications and Broader Significance
Florida’s aggressive pace of executions, including Randolph’s case, raises both procedural and moral debates around capital punishment. Legal analysts note that the state uses a three-drug lethal injection protocol and that the inmates often file last-minute appeals, though those are generally unsuccessful. The state’s record-setting execution tally signals a more assertive approach to the death penalty under the current administration — a trend that is drawing national attention.
