Starke, Florida — A Florida death row inmate convicted of killing his girlfriend’s infant daughter nearly three decades ago is scheduled to be executed Tuesday evening, marking what would become the state’s eighth execution of 2026.
Andrew Richard Lukehart, 53, is set to receive a lethal injection at Florida State Prison near Starke after exhausting his final legal appeals.
Execution Scheduled Nearly 30 Years After Infant’s Death
Lukehart was sentenced to death after being convicted of first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse in connection with the death of 5-month-old Gabrielle Hanshaw in 1996.
According to court records, Lukehart was caring for the infant while his girlfriend tended to her older daughter, who was ill.
At some point during the day, Lukehart reportedly left the family’s Jacksonville home with the baby.
Authorities said he later contacted the child’s mother and claimed the infant had been kidnapped.
According to investigators, Lukehart told his girlfriend to contact police while he allegedly pursued the supposed abductor.
Confession Led Investigators to Child’s Body
The investigation took a dramatic turn later that day when authorities located Lukehart in a neighboring county after he drove his vehicle off the road.
During questioning, he eventually admitted what had happened.
Court records state that Lukehart told investigators the infant died after he dropped her on her head and then violently shook her.
Afterward, he allegedly panicked and disposed of the child’s body in a pond.
Law enforcement officers later searched the pond and recovered Gabrielle’s remains.
The confession became a key piece of evidence during the criminal proceedings that ultimately resulted in his conviction and death sentence.
Courts Reject Final Appeals
In recent weeks, Lukehart’s attorneys filed multiple appeals seeking to halt the execution.
His legal team argued that medication prescribed for kidney disease could potentially interact negatively with the drugs used during Florida’s lethal injection procedure.
Attorneys also contended that the relatively short period between the signing of the death warrant and the scheduled execution violated his due process rights.
However, the Florida Supreme Court rejected those arguments and denied relief.
The U.S. Supreme Court later declined to intervene, effectively exhausting Lukehart’s remaining legal options.
Florida Continues High Number of Executions
If the execution proceeds as planned, it will continue Florida’s recent increase in executions.
According to state records, Florida carried out 19 executions in 2025, the highest annual total in the state since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976.
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Officials noted that Gov. Ron DeSantis oversaw more executions in a single year than any Florida governor during the modern death penalty era.
The previous state record had been eight executions in a year, set in 2014.
Another Execution Planned This Month
Florida’s use of capital punishment is expected to continue later this month.
Authorities have already scheduled the execution of Dusty Ray Spencer, 74, who was convicted of fatally stabbing his wife in 1992.
According to the Florida Department of Corrections, executions in the state are carried out through a three-drug lethal injection protocol consisting of a sedative, a paralytic agent and a drug that stops the heart.
The scheduled execution comes as debates over capital punishment continue across the United States, where dozens of executions have been carried out in recent years.
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