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Florida is preparing to carry out the execution of Victor Tony Jones, a 64-year-old man sentenced to death for the murder of a couple in Miami-Dade in 1990.
His case, however, has once again placed at the center of the debate the impact of violence and abuse suffered during childhood, after his lawyers approached the U.S. Supreme Court with a 36-page petition and a request for a stay of execution, in a desperate attempt to halt the lethal injection, reported NBC Miami.
Jones was sentenced to death in 1993 for the homicide of Matilda and Jacob Nestor, a couple aged 66 and 67 who had employed him in their business. The court record describes that both were brutally attacked with a knife during a robbery, while Jones was shot when the male victim managed to shoot him before dying.
The weight of childhood abuse
The defenders of Jones argue that the state of Florida concealed for decades the extreme abuse conditions suffered at the Okeechobee reform school, one of the most violent juvenile institutions in the state's history.
In January 2025, the government itself acknowledged that Jones had been a victim of severe mistreatment at that facility, which entitled him to receive financial compensation.
The lawyers claim that this admission constitutes a "newly discovered evidence" that a jury should be aware of before deciding whether Jones deserves to live or die.
They also argue that his intellectual disability should have prevented him from receiving the death penalty in the first place, invoking the constitutional prohibition against cruel and unusual punishments.
"Some individuals who commit heinous crimes are not sentenced to death if a jury determines that their lives were marked by abuse and severe trauma," the lawyers argued in the petition submitted on Saturday to the U.S. Supreme Court, as reported by NBC Miami.
The Florida Supreme Court rejected last week, in a 5 to 1 decision, the defense's arguments, noting that the abuses in Okeechobee occurred almost 50 years ago and should have been raised earlier. However, the highest court in the United States must decide in the coming hours whether to grant a reprieve for Jones or allow the sentence to be carried out.
"The alleged abuse occurred nearly 50 years ago —about 15 years before his trial— but Jones did not raise it during the trial or in any proceedings after the conviction," stated the Florida Supreme Court.
"Since Jones's claim regarding any abuse suffered at Okeechobee School could and should have been raised earlier, it is procedurally barred," they added.
The execution policy in Florida
Governor Ron DeSantis signed the death warrant on August 29, scheduling the execution for this Tuesday, September 30 at 6:00 p.m. at Florida State Prison.
With this case, Florida would reach its 13th execution so far in 2025, the highest figure in the modern era and the most in the country this year, according to data cited by WUSF/Associated Press.
DeSantis already has two more executions scheduled for October, as part of a policy that has increased the number of capital punishment cases compared to previous decades.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Execution of Victor Tony Jones in Florida
Why is there an effort to stop the execution of Victor Tony Jones?
Victor Tony Jones's lawyers have requested that the Supreme Court of the United States halt his execution due to the abuse he suffered in childhood and his intellectual disability. They argue that these circumstances should have been taken into account by the jury before sentencing him to death.
What is the execution history in Florida in 2025?
Until now, Florida has carried out 12 executions in 2025, positioning itself as the state with the most executions in the United States this year. The execution of Victor Tony Jones would be the thirteenth, with others planned in the upcoming months.
What impact do the abuses suffered by Jones have on his case?
Jones's lawyers argue that the extreme abuses he suffered at the Okeechobee reform school and his intellectual disability are factors that should have prevented the imposition of the death penalty. This information was acknowledged by the state of Florida in 2025 and is considered "newly discovered evidence" that could alter perceptions of his guilt.
What is Governor Ron DeSantis's execution policy?
Governor Ron DeSantis has intensified the application of the death penalty in Florida, signing multiple execution orders and bringing the state to a historic record in the number of executions in a single year. This policy reflects a tougher stance on crime and has generated controversy both at the state and national levels.
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