A man on Death Row who was sentenced to death for the rape and murder of his manager at a convenience store in 1988 tucked into a fatty last meal before his execution.
Richard Barry Randolph, 63, was executed on Thursday evening, marking Florida’s record 17th execution this year. The execution more than doubles the state’s previous record. He was convicted for the “brutal and prolonged” rape and murder of convenience store manager, Minnie Ruth McCollum in 1988.
The then 27-year-old was trying to crack open the safe at his former workplace the Handy Way Convenience Store, when 62-year-old McCollum walked in on him, according to court records.
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Randolph was found guilty of murder, armed robbery, sexual battery and grand theft and was sentenced to death in 1989. Fast forward thirty-seven years, and he was put to death by lethal injection by Florida’s Department of Corrections.
Just before he was killed by the state, Randolph had a chance to pick what he’d like to eat for the final time. For his last meal, the rapist tucked into a cheeseburger, fries, eggs, a soda and ice cream, said Jordan Kirkland, the communications director for the Department of Corrections. When asked if he had any last words, Randolph succinctly said: “No, I do not.”
“The execution took place without incident,” Kirk said during a press conference later that evening. “The victim’s family wanted me to thank the governor on their behalf.”
He was pronounced dead at 6:12pm, without making a final statement. DeSantis spokesman Alex Lanfranconi confirmed there were no complications during the procedure.
Court records reveal that Randolph attempted to break into the safe at a convenience store in Palatka in August 1988, where he had previously been employed. He was discovered by the manager, Minnie Ruth McCollum, leading to a struggle between the two.
Randolph then assaulted, strangled, stabbed and raped McCollum before leaving the store and stealing the woman’s car, the records show.
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Three women spotted Randolph fleeing the shop and rang the police after noticing through the window that the store had been left in disarray. An officer rushed to the scene, finding McCollum still alive. She was rushed to hospital in a coma, but tragically died six days later from severe brain injuries, according to medics.
Randolph was arrested shortly afterward at a Jacksonville grocery store while trying to borrow money and cash in lottery tickets stolen from the convenience store, say the police. Detectives said Randolph confessed to the attack and pointed them towards the blood-soaked clothes he had dumped.
The Florida Supreme Court last week denied Randolph’s appeals last week. He had argued that a lower court had abused its discretion in denying him access to public records and that his own lawyers had acted without his consent. The U.S. Supreme Court denied Randolph’s last appeal Thursday morning.
Randolph’s executions further extends Florida’s already record-breaking year for total executions. Prior this year, the state’s record was only eight. Randolph is the 44th to be executed in the U.S. this year – the highest number in 15 years.
Two more executions are scheduled in Florida this year, with Republican Governor Ron DeSantis signing death warrants for Mark Allen Geralds, 58, and Frank Athen Walls, 58. Both men were convicted of fatal home invasion robberies, with Walls later confessing to three additional murders.
The Death Penalty Policy Project experts link the rise in state-sanctioned executions to the political climate under pro-death penalty President Donald Trump and the conservative-leaning Supreme Court.