Background on Michael Bell and His Execution
Michael Bell, a 54-year-old man sentenced to death, was executed by lethal injection on Tuesday at the Florida State Prison in Raiford, bringing the total number of executions in the United States to 26 this year. This is the highest number since 2015, when there were 28 executions.
Bell was convicted of murdering Jimmy West, 23, and Tamecka Smith, 18, in Jacksonville in 1993. He shot both victims outside a liquor store, leading to his death sentence.
Bell’s crime was motivated by the murder of his brother, Lamar Bell, who was killed by Theodore Wright, Michael’s half-brother, months prior.
Bell was among the thirty death row inmates who spent time at Florida’s notorious Dozier School, a juvenile correctional facility that operated for over a century until its closure in 2011. The institution was known for frequent acts of cruelty among its inmates, inspiring Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “The Nickel Boys” (2020). In 2016, anthropologists discovered the remains of 55 clandestine burials within the school’s walls.
Rise in Executions Across Select States
According to a recent report by the Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC), the increase in executions this year is due to decisions made by elected officials in a few states.
These executions are “geographically concentrated,” with over half taking place in Florida, Texas, and South Carolina, as per the report.
Methods of Execution
Of the 26 executions this year, 21 have been carried out via lethal injection. Three others were executed using nitrogen gas inhalation, a method first employed in Alabama in 2024 and deemed a form of torture by UN experts. The remaining two executions were carried out by firing squad in South Carolina.
Status of the Death Penalty Across the US
The death penalty has been abolished in 23 of the 50 states. In three others—California, Oregon, and Pennsylvania—there is currently a moratorium on executions.
Key Questions and Answers
- Who is Michael Bell and why is his execution significant? Michael Bell was a 54-year-old man executed on Tuesday for the 1993 murders of Jimmy West and Tamecka Smith in Jacksonville. His execution marks the 26th this year, the highest number since 2015.
- Which states have seen the most executions in 2025? Florida, Texas, and South Carolina have conducted the majority of executions this year.
- What methods are being used for executions in 2025? Lethal injection accounts for 21 of the 26 executions, while nitrogen gas inhalation has been used in three cases and firing squad in two.
- What is the current status of the death penalty across the US? The death penalty has been abolished in 23 states, while California, Oregon, and Pennsylvania have execution moratoriums.
