Florida sets execution date for man convicted of killing a grocery store owner

A man convicted of killing a grocery store owner during a robbery is set to become Florida's second execution of 2026 under a death warrant signed Friday by Gov. Ron DeSantis, who signed off on a record 19 executions last year. Melvin Trotter, 65, is scheduled to die by lethal injection Feb. 24 at Florida State Prison. DeSantis, a Republican, oversaw more executions in a single year in 2025 than any other Florida governor since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976.