Florida Set to Execute James Dennis Ford for 1997 Double Murder

STARKE, Florida — James Dennis Ford is scheduled to be executed today, Thursday, February 13, 2025, at 6 p.m. at Florida State Prison for the brutal 1997 murders of Greg and Kimberly Malnory in Charlotte County.

Ford, who worked with Gregory Malnory at the South Florida Sod Farm, attacked the couple during a fishing trip, leaving their 22-month-old daughter, Maranda, abandoned in their truck for over 18 hours. Gregory Malnory, 25, was shot, bludgeoned, and had his throat slit, while Kimberly Malnory, 26, was raped, beaten, and shot. The toddler was found covered in her mother’s blood by a farm employee.

In 1999, a jury voted 11-1 to recommend the death penalty, and Ford was sentenced accordingly. His defense attorneys made repeated appeals, arguing that his low IQ—estimated at 65—and a mental age of about 14 should exempt him from execution under intellectual disability protections. However, both the Florida Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court rejected his claims, ruling that Ford did not meet the legal criteria for exemption. His final appeal was denied without comment by the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed Ford’s death warrant on January 10, 2025, making it the state’s first execution of the year. The execution is set to proceed via lethal injection, using Florida’s standard three-drug protocol.

Opponents of the execution, including Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty and the Catholic Mobilizing Network, urged the governor to grant clemency. They cited Ford’s history of childhood abuse, alcoholism, and untreated diabetes, as well as his non-violent record on death row and the non-unanimous jury recommendation as reasons to reconsider his sentence. However, state officials have stood by the conviction and sentencing, setting the stage for Ford’s execution this evening.