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Starke, FL - A Florida death row inmate is scheduled to be executed after exhausting multiple appeals tied to the decades old murder of his girlfriend's infant daughter.
Andrew Richard Lukehart, 53, is set to receive a lethal injection at Florida State Prison in Starke following his conviction for the 1996 killing of 5 month old Gabrielle Hanshaw.
Court records show Lukehart was found guilty of first degree murder and aggravated child abuse and was sentenced to death in 1997.
According to evidence presented during the trial, Lukehart was caring for the infant while her mother was away with another child.
Investigators said he later reported that the baby had been kidnapped, prompting an extensive search by law enforcement.
Authorities eventually determined the kidnapping claim was false.
Court documents indicate that during questioning, Lukehart admitted the infant suffered fatal injuries while in his care.
Prosecutors said medical evidence showed the child died from injuries consistent with severe abuse.
Investigators later recovered the baby's body from a pond after Lukehart directed authorities to the location.
Over the years, Lukehart's attorneys filed numerous appeals challenging his conviction and death sentence.
State and federal courts ultimately rejected those arguments, allowing the execution to move forward.
Recent legal filings focused on issues involving his health and the timing of the death warrant, but those challenges were denied.
If carried out as scheduled, the execution would mark Florida's eighth execution of 2026.
State officials have increased the pace of executions in recent years as long running death penalty cases continue to work their way through the court system.