Florida Man Executed for Brutal Murder and Assault on College Students in Forest 30 Years Ago
A Florida man, Loran Cole, was executed on Thursday, August 29, for the brutal murder of a college freshman and the assault of the victim’s older sister during a camping trip in a national forest 30 years ago.
Cole, 57, was pronounced dead at 6:15 p.m. at Florida State Prison after receiving a lethal injection for the 1994 murder of an 18-year-old student. He was also serving two life sentences for rape.
When asked if he had any last words, Cole simply replied, “No sir.” During the execution, which began at 6 p.m., Cole briefly glanced at a witness in the front row. He took deep breaths and trembled for a moment before appearing to stop breathing. He was declared dead five minutes after the procedure began.
Corrections officials described Cole as “compliant” in the hours leading up to his execution. He had two visitors, including his son, before the execution. Earlier that day, the U.S. Supreme Court denied Cole’s final appeal.
Court records reveal that Cole and an accomplice, William Paul, befriended two college students at the Ocala National Forest. After chatting around a campfire, the men lured the siblings away from their campsite under the pretense of showing them a pond. Once isolated, Cole and Paul attacked the students, robbing them.
The 18-year-old brother, a Florida State University student, was beaten, had his throat slit, and was left to die in the forest. His sister, a 21-year-old senior at Eckerd College, was taken back to the campsite, where Cole assaulted her and tied her to a tree overnight. She eventually managed to free herself and flag down help. Police later discovered her brother’s body face down in the forest.
Both Cole and Paul were convicted of first-degree murder. While Paul received a life sentence, Cole’s fate was sealed when Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed his death warrant last month.
This marks Florida’s first execution since October, when Michael Zack was put to death for a 1996 murder.