A Florida man charged with kidnapping adult siblings while camping in a national park in 1994 before raping the sister and murdering the brother is set to be executed next month.
On Monday, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Loran Cole’s death warrant. Cole, 57, is scheduled to be killed via lethal injection on August 28 at Florida State Prison.
Cole and a friend, William Paul, befriended the two college students while camping in the Ocala National Forest. After discussing around the fire, the men offered to take the siblings to a pond. According to court papers, Cole and Paul attacked and robbed the victims when they were away from the campsite.
The brother, who was 18, was assaulted and abandoned in the forest. Cole took his 21-year-old sister back to the campsite and tied her up before raping her. She ultimately freed herself and flagged down a motorist for assistance. According to court documents, police discovered her brother’s body lying face down on the ground, with head damage and a cut-throat.
Paul and Cole were convicted of first-degree murder. Paul was imprisoned for life. Cole, who was also found guilty of two charges of rape, was sentenced to death.
The execution would be the first in Florida since Michael Zack was sentenced to death in October for the 1996 murder of Ravonne Smith.