Disclaimer: The article has mentions of killing and violence.
Florida carried out its 10th execution of 2025 on Tuesday. Kayle Barrington Bates was executed on the conviction of brutally killing Janet “Renee” White more than four decades ago.
The case that has haunted Renee’s husband, Randy White, for 43 years, finally reached its conclusion, and it all ended inside the death chamber at Florida State Prison.
It began on June 14, 1982. Randy White had just shared lunch with his wife, and he then followed her back to her work. He watched her unlock the office door and wave goodbye.
However, within minutes, his life was changed forever as the tragedy struck. Bates abducted Renee from her workplace in Bay County and dragged her into nearby woods. There, he tried to sexually assault her. When he couldn’t control her, he ended up stabbing her repeatedly and stealing her diamond ring.
Randy received the devastating news just after 12 minutes of kissing his wife goodbye. She was gone forever.
Bates was quickly identified, tried, and then sentenced to death. However, it took more than 40 years for justice to be served due to several appeals that Bates had a right to make. These long appeals went on for a long time, and all the while, Renee’s family remained suspended in grief.
🚨 #BREAKING Kayle Barrington Bates has been executed.
Bates was put to death for the brutal 1982 murder of 24-year-old Janet Renee White.
Bates is Florida’s 10th execution of 2025.
Time of Death – 6:17 PM #Florida #DeathPenalty #KayleBates #JanetReneeWhite pic.twitter.com/YlWx1N5yo7
— Krystal in Florida 🇺🇸 🐊 (@MsBradsher) August 19, 2025
Then came the day Randy White had been waiting for. On Tuesday evening, 67-year-old Bates was executed by lethal injection at 6:17 p.m. He refused to give any statement.
There were witnesses present for Bates’ execution, and among those was Randy White. He had promised his wife that he would see justice through to the end. After the punishment was fulfilled, he expressed both relief and sorrow.
“I feel a relief… justice has finally been served for her,” he said. “It’s always been for her.”
Randy had thanked Governor Ron DeSantis, prosecutors, and law enforcement for keeping their promise and ensuring that Renee’s case was not forgotten.
He clarified that the moment of execution was not about vengeance but about honoring his late wife’s memory.
The U.S. Supreme Court has denied Kayle Bates’ cert petition and applications to stay tonight’s scheduled execution in Florida. https://t.co/fzpYhjz4oBhttps://t.co/tUGdjZ8RGKhttps://t.co/vERd6VwDun@FLDeathPenalty @FADPorg #deathpenalty pic.twitter.com/oUPEd0Uvbf
— Robert Dunham (@RDunhamDP) August 19, 2025
With Bate’s death sentence being carried out, Florida has surpassed the state’s previous record of eight executions set in 2014. In 2025, Governor Ron DeSantis took a notably aggressive stance on capital punishment. He has signed multiple death warrants and insisted that the measure serves as a curb to check severe crimes in the state.
There are two more death penalties that are already scheduled. Curtis Windom will be executed on August 28, and David Pittman on September 17.
On the national level, the US has carried out 29 executions in 2025. The number is the highest in more than a decade. This shows a sharp increase in the use of capital punishment after a substantial decline in its use for years.
Bates’s attorneys and his legal team went all the way though and didn’t leave any stone unturned. They pursued every possible method and way to delay or overturn his sentence.
The team also argued that Bates suffered from brain damage. They even challenged Florida execution system for selecting death warrants and called it racially biased.
Here are the 5 individuals who were executed, which The Daily Beast claims was a betrayal of veterans:
Bobby Joe Long- Kidnapped, raped, and killed at least 10 women
Duane Owen-Killed and raped two girls (one was 14)
Edward James- Murdered a woman and her 8 year old… https://t.co/Hifa6BGwUw
— AG (@AGHamilton29) August 13, 2025
A federal lawsuit filed on these grounds was dismissed. The courts have rejected claims of unconstitutional discrimination. The Florida and US Supreme Courts ultimately denied all appeals, clearing the way for Tuesday’s death penalty.
For Randy White, the execution brought the closing to the most painful chapter that began with unimaginable loss. But the case has also reignited national debate about the morality, fairness, and effectiveness of the death penalty.
Still, for the family of Janet “Renee” White, the moment was about something deeply personal. They finally saw justice being delivered for the woman whose life was stolen far too soon.
