It has been more than 40 years since Randy White carried the weight of the day when he last kissed his wife goodbye: The day his wife, Janet Renee White, was murdered. And finally, now, it’s the time for justice to be served as her killer is all set for this execution on August 19, 2025 in Florida.
Randy and Renee’s story was one of the books that featured moments of deep love and devotion. The couple had a love for travelling together. Among other locations, New Orleans was one of their favourite destinations.
June 14, 1982 would have been a normal day for them. They shared a simple and cherished afternoon where they had lunch together at their Florida home.
Renee then prepared to return to work. Randy, being the loving husband he was, insisted on following her in his car. He dropped her at the office door, saw her opening the door and got inside as he tooted twice to tell her goodbye. And then he drove away.
And after 12 minutes, he had lost the love of his life. Renee was gone. She was attacked and fatally wounded in the woods nearby.
“At 12:55 p.m., I kissed her goodbye. They estimated her time of death was 1:07 p.m.,” Randy told USA TODAY. “You’re not prepared for life to just stop that abruptly.”
Florida couple married 10 weeks after meeting. A killer ended their love story 8 years later. https://t.co/M2vsefiGwu
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) August 15, 2025
Authorities later identified Kayle Barrington Bates as the accused. Bates was in his mid-20s then. He was convicted of kidnapping, robbery, attempted sexual battery, and first-degree murder for Renee.
All the gathered evidence showed that he had abducted her from outside her workplace and forced her into the woods. He tried to sexually assault her, and when she put up a fight, he stabbed her repeatedly. He then fled with her diamond ring.
Bates was convicted and sentenced to death. He has been on death row for more than four decades now. His legal team has exhausted all his appeals to state and federal courts. The Florida Supreme Court upheld the sentence, and his death warrant was signed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. The execution was set for August 19, 2025. Bates, at 67, is the longest-serving inmate on the Florida death row.
Florida @GovRonDeSantis today signed the latest death warrant for this year, setting David Joseph Pittman for execution on Sept. 17. That will make 12 executions this year (assuming courts do not stop it or those set for Kayle Bates and Curtis Windom). pic.twitter.com/yvQVCpcKI5
— Jim Rosica (@JimRosicaFL) August 15, 2025
For Randy White, the execution is about justice, closure and heartache. When asked, he confirmed that he plans to attend the execution, but not out of spite or anger, but for his love for Renee.
“I want to be there for her,” he said. “She deserves that. She was beautiful, she was kind, and she deserved so much more than what happened to her.”
Randy has rebuilt his life after losing Renee, but has never forgotten her. Friends and family have described him as a man of resilience. He is someone who managed to keep going even when life stopped making sense.
Bates’s execution marks Florida’s 10th this year. It is a record in itself, and so far, the number of executions this year has already passed any annual execution record held by the state. This pace has also reignited debate over the death penalty.
More than 165 veterans have urged @GovRonDeSantis to halt the execution of #KayleBates set for August 19.
In a letter they wrote: “To execute a veteran who was broken by war and left without adequate care is not justice.”
Join them, call the Gov today👇#StopExecutionsFlorida pic.twitter.com/uqps3ihzwr— Karine Omry (@KarineOmry) August 14, 2025
As the date of the execution is here, Randy is not thinking of the politics but of the woman who suffered enormous pain and suffering in her last moments. Her fear must have been so profound. Bates stole her life, and Randy just wants to see justice served.
“This isn’t about him,” he said of Bates. “It’s about Renee. And it’s about finally closing a chapter that has been open far too long.”
For Randy White, August 19 will not erase the pain of 1982, but it will mark the end of a 43-year wait for justice.
