- Florida executed two inmates on the same day, marking a significant event in the state's criminal justice system.
- Following the execution, detectives linked James Duckett to the 1987 murder of 14-year-old Jennifer Weldon, naming him as the sole suspect.
- James Duckett is responsible for the 1987 abduction, rape and murder of 14-year-old Jeanifer Weldon, according to Sheriff Judd.
- Duckett left for his phosphate mine job five hours early on the night Weldon vanished and arrived two hours late to work hot, sweaty, agitated and with dirty hands.
- The morning after Weldon disappeared, Duckett gave his wife a green bag containing candy and a gray stuffed kitten, which she threw away after questioning.
- Detectives confirmed the store Weldon visited in Tampa used green bags and sold stuffed kittens, linking the evidence to Duckett.
- Sheriff Judd stated, 'We never had not one iota of evidence that anyone other than James Duckett ever committed this murder.'
- PCSO will meet with the state attorney's office to formally clear the abduction, rape and murder case because the offender is dead.
- Sheriff Judd described Duckett as 'a psychopath' and 'pure evil in the flesh.'
Florida executed two inmates on the same day, including James Duckett, who was linked to the 1987 murder of 14-year-old Jeanifer Weldon. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd confirmed Duckett as the sole suspect in the cold case, stating, "We never had not one iota of evidence that anyone other than James Duckett ever committed this murder."1234
Duckett, a former police officer, was executed for a different murder, but detectives believe he also abducted, raped, and killed Weldon. Judd explained that on the night of Weldon's disappearance, Duckett left for work five hours early, arriving late and agitated, with dirty hands.
The next morning, Duckett gave his wife a green bag containing candy and a gray stuffed kitten, which she discarded after questioning its presence. Investigators confirmed that the store Weldon visited in Tampa used green bags and sold stuffed kittens.
Judd stated, "We know that he’s a psychopath. We know that he is a child-raping murderer. We know he is pure evil in the flesh." The Polk County Sheriff's Office plans to meet with the state attorney's office to formally close the case now that Duckett is deceased.
“Following James Duckett's execution, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd confirmed Duckett's responsibility for the abduction, rape, and murder of Jeanifer Weldon. The investigation revealed Duckett's suspicious behavior on the night of Weldon's disappearance, including arriving late to work with dirty hands.”
