Richard Barry Randolph, aged 63, was executed in Florida for the 1988 rape and murder of Minnie Ruth McCollum, a convenience store manager. The incident occurred when Randolph, then 27 years old, attempted to burglarize the Handy Way Convenience Store in Palatka. McCollum encountered him during the break-in, leading to a violent confrontation where Randolph assaulted, strangled, stabbed, and sexually assaulted her before fleeing the scene with her car. Despite being found alive, McCollum succumbed to severe brain injuries six days later.
Following the crime, Randolph was apprehended at a Jacksonville grocery store while trying to exchange stolen lottery tickets for money. He confessed to the attack and disclosed the location of incriminating evidence, including bloodstained clothing. Randolph’s legal appeals were exhausted as the Florida Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court both declined to intervene, leading to his scheduled execution by lethal injection.