Governor signs death warrant for man guilty of 1997 killing of 2 in Charlotte County

Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed the death warrant for a man found guilty of killing two people in Charlotte County in 1997.

James Ford, known as “Jimbo,” was sentenced to death for the 1997 murders of Greg and Kim Malnory during a fishing trip on a sod farm.

Ford has been on death row since 1999.

As the governor signed the warrant, Ford was moved to a “death watch” cell near where he’ll be executed.

WINK News anchor Chris Cifatte caught up with Ford’s former attorney, Paul Sullivan, and asked about the death warrant.

“When I talked to you on the phone a minute ago, the first thing you said when I said that was, ‘Oh, that’s a shame.’ Why?” asked Cifatte.

“Well, I was Jimbo Ford’s lawyer. I was close to his family, and I don’t like seeing people killed. I hated to see that the Malnorys were killed, and it’s a shame to me that Jimbo Ford is being executed,” Sullivan said.

“Did your client do it?” Cifatte asked.

“He always told me he didn’t. At this point in life, I don’t know if it matters,” Sullivan said.

We reached out to the family of Greg Malnory and left a message. We’ll let you know if we hear back.

His death is scheduled for Feb. 13, according to the Florida Supreme Court. To read more, click here.