Convicted killer James Ford executed in Florida

A convicted killer on death row since 1999 has been executed for the murder of a couple in Charlotte County.

James Dennis Ford, 64, was put to death Thursday evening at Florida State Prison in Raiford, located about 50 minutes west of Jacksonville between Interstate 75 and Interstate 95.

This marks the state of Florida’s first execution this year.

WINK News Anchor Chris Cifatte witnessed an execution at Florida State Prison and spoke with the victims’ families about their feelings of justice.

The execution proceeded smoothly, with the individual declared dead in 19 minutes. Though he had no final words, he left a written statement that read, “Hugs, prayers, love… God bless everyone.”

The victims’ families, however, felt indifferent to his statement. They said they can now begin to process their grief and manage their anger.

Connie Ankney, Greg Malnory’s mother, expressed her feelings, saying, “Now that he’s gone… Good.”

Ankney described Jim Ford as a coward.

“I’m very angry,” she said. “But I don’t let it overwhelm me… I learned from my pastor to control it and I’ve worked on it for years.”

Deidre Parkinson, Kimberly Malnory’s stepmother, shared her memories of her stepdaughter.

“The thing I miss most about Kimberly is she was the mediator of the family,” she said.

The families are now attempting to move on.

“This is the day of final justice,” Parkinson said.

Malnory’s daughter, Maranda, who survived being left in a field, left a statement saying that while she never got to know her parents, they were with her throughout this process.

There are still open questions about other missing persons cases tied to Ford that will be investigated.

The U.S. Supreme Court denied a stay of execution Wednesday, ensuring the execution proceeds as planned.

The Malnorys were killed during a fishing trip on a sod farm in Charlotte County in 1997.

Greg Malnory was killed first, and Kimberly was sexually assaulted before being killed.

Their daughter survived the horrific murders and has been re-traumatized with each court date and update in the case since.

Governor Ron DeSantis signed his death warrant on January 10, finalizing Ford’s fate.

The daughter expressed gratitude to Gov. DeSantis for signing the death warrant but has lived in fear of potential setbacks or delays.

With everything still on track for Ford’s execution on Thursday, WINK News anchor Chris Cifatte will be present at the Florida State Prison for the scheduled execution at 6 p.m.