Florida Executes Melvin Trotter for 1986 Murder of Palmetto Store Owner

Florida carried out the execution of Melvin Trotter, 65, on Tuesday evening for the 1986 murder of Virgie Langford, a 72-year-old grocery store owner in Palmetto.

According to the Florida Department of Corrections, the sentence was carried out at 6:15 p.m. on Feb. 24, 2026, at Florida State Prison. Officials reported that the execution took place without incident.

Langford was attacked on June 16, 1986, inside Langford’s Grocery Store in Palmetto. Authorities said a truck driver entered the store and found Langford on the floor at the back of the business. She told the driver she had been stabbed and robbed. Langford suffered seven stab wounds, including a severe abdominal injury. She later died of cardiac arrest several hours after undergoing surgery.

Trotter was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death in connection with the killing.

The execution process began at 6:03 p.m. Approximately 25 people were present in the witness room, separated from Trotter by glass. When asked if he wished to make a final statement, Trotter declined.

Trotter was secured to a medical bed with his hands covered and bound, and a white sheet was placed over his body. Witnesses reported that he appeared to be breathing heavily for several minutes. At 6:06 p.m., the warden attempted to rouse him by calling his name and making physical contact, but received no response. At 6:14 p.m., a physician examined Trotter and checked for a pulse. The warden pronounced him dead at 6:15 p.m.

Outside the prison, demonstrators gathered for about an hour prior to the scheduled 6 p.m. execution. Groups from various parts of Florida were represented. As the time approached, protesters observed a period of silence in opposition to the death penalty. Among those present were members of Our Lady of Lourdes Church, who said they attend executions regularly. Representatives from Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty were also in attendance, expressing opposition to capital punishment and raising concerns about the number of executions carried out in the state this year.

State officials confirmed that the execution marked one of multiple death sentences carried out in Florida in recent months.