- Father Dustin Feddon experienced panic and insomnia as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis accelerated executions starting in 2025, leading to a record number of deaths.
- Feddon, who ministers to death row inmates, witnessed executions like that of Frank Walls, describing the traumatic process and the emotional toll on both prisoners and himself.
- Florida’s executions surged in 2025, accounting for 40% of U.S. executions, with the state’s death row process becoming an 'assembly line' due to rapid succession of warrants.
- National trends show declining support for the death penalty due to exonerations, high costs, and falling crime rates, with many states abolishing or pausing executions.
- President Donald Trump and Governor DeSantis actively promoted capital punishment, with DeSantis using executive power to sign death warrants secretly and without clear criteria.
- Lawyers and advocates face intense pressure from shortened timelines between warrants and executions, risking errors and personal burnout, as seen in cases like Billy Kearse and James Duckett.
- Protests and vigils, led by groups like Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, highlight public opposition and the hidden nature of executions, while proponents counter with symbolic actions.
- Retired warden Ron McAndrew and Feddon emphasized the psychological damage executions inflict on prison staff and clergy, with McAndrew sharing haunting experiences from past executions.
- The article explores moral dilemmas faced by Feddon and others in balancing compassion for the condemned with the trauma of state-sanctioned killing, as executions continue unabated.