Florida executes man in deaths of 2 women
STARKE, Fla. – A Florida man has been executed for killing two female co-workers by beating them with a hammer and setting them on fire during a robbery at a fabric store where they worked. One witness to the lethal injection Thursday blurted out “Die!” as the inmate read his last statement.
Robert L. Henry, 55, was pronounced dead at 6:16 p.m. Thursday after the chemical injection at the Florida State Prison. He was convicted of first-degree murder in the November 1987 deaths of Phyllis Harris, 53, and Janet Thermidor, 35, at the Deerfield Beach store. Authorities say about $1,200 was taken in the robbery.
Before the execution, Henry read a three-minute statement in which he apologized for his crimes and said he hoped his death would comfort the families of the victims. But he also criticized the death penalty.
Turkey restricts access to Twitter after leaks
ANKARA, Turkey – Turkey has restricted access to Twitter hours after Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to “root out” the social media network where wiretapped recordings have been leaked, damaging the government’s reputation ahead of local elections.
Many users trying to access the network early on Friday were confronted instead with a notice from Turkey’s telecommunications authority, citing court orders for the site’s apparent closure.
On Thursday, Erdogan said the government would take steps against Twitter regardless of “what the international community will say.”
The leaked recordings include one in which Erdogan allegedly instructs his son to dispose of large amounts of cash from a residence amid a police graft probe.
Associated Press
