Florida executed Bryan Frederick Jennings on Thursday evening for the brutal 1979 murder of a six-year-old girl, marking the state's record-breaking 16th execution this year under Governor Ron DeSantis's administration.
The Final Execution
Bryan Frederick Jennings, 66, was pronounced dead at 6:20 p.m. following a three-drug lethal injection at Florida State Prison near Starke. When asked for final words, Jennings loudly responded "No" before the procedure began. During the execution, his chest heaved and arms twitched for several minutes before he lay still with his mouth open.
Department of Corrections spokesman Jordan Kirkland confirmed the execution proceeded without complications. "The execution took place without incident," Kirkland stated. "There were no complications." No family members of the victim spoke to media representatives following the procedure.
Horrific 1979 Crime
Court documents reveal the chilling details of the crime that occurred on May 11, 1979. Jennings, then a 20-year-old Marine on leave, removed the screen from six-year-old Rebecca Kunash's bedroom window while her parents were in another room of their Brevard County home.
According to trial testimony, Jennings abducted the young girl, drove her to a nearby canal, and sexually assaulted her. Court records state he then "swung her by her legs to the ground with such force that she fractured her skull" before drowning her in the canal. Her body was discovered later that same day.
Investigation and Legal Proceedings
Jennings was arrested hours after the crime on a traffic warrant and matched the description of a man seen near the Kunash residence. Forensic evidence proved decisive - shoe prints at the crime scene matched Jennings's footwear, his fingerprints were found on the windowsill, and his clothes and hair were noticeably wet at the time of arrest.
The legal journey spanned decades with Jennings being convicted and sentenced to death twice for the murder, both overturned on appeal. The 1986 trial resulted in a third death sentence that ultimately stood. He also received life sentences for kidnapping, sexual assault, and burglary convictions.
Record Executions Under DeSantis
Governor Ron DeSantis, who signed Jennings's death warrant, has overseen more executions in a single year than any Florida governor since the death penalty resumed in the United States in 1976. The previous record of eight executions was set in 2014.
DeSantis explained the unprecedented execution rate by emphasizing his commitment to delivering justice to victims' families. "Some of these crimes were committed in the '80s," the governor noted at a recent news conference. "Justice delayed is justice denied. I felt I owed it to them to make sure this ran very smoothly."
Florida has scheduled additional executions for Richard Barry Randolph on November 20 and Mark Allen Geralds on December 9. If carried out, these would bring the year's total to 18 executions.
Jennings had filed multiple appeals in state and federal courts, most recently arguing he spent months without legal representation before DeSantis signed his death warrant, claiming this violated his right to counsel.
With Jennings's execution, the United States has carried out 42 court-ordered executions this year, with at least 16 more scheduled through 2026 according to the Death Penalty Information Center.
