Andrew Lukehart, a Jacksonville man convicted of murdering 5-month-old Gabrielle Hanshaw after striking her head multiple times, dumping her body in a remote pond area and falsely claiming she had been kidnapped, is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection on June 2 at Florida State Prison, becoming the eighth inmate put to death in the state this year.
Lukehart’s case drew attention because he committed the crime while serving probation for a separate child abuse conviction involving another infant who suffered a fractured skull and multiple broken bones. According to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ death warrant, issued May 1, Lukehart admitted he “forcefully and repeatedly pushed” the baby’s head and neck into the floor during a diaper change after she would not lie still.
Here’s what to know about Lukehart, the crimes that led to his death sentence and the ongoing efforts to halt his execution.
Who is Andrew Lukehart and what is he convicted for?
Andrew Lukehart was sentenced to death after being convicted of first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse in the 1996 death of 5-month-old Gabrielle Hanshaw.
Prosecutors said Lukehart fatally beat the infant, then fabricated a kidnapping story to conceal the crime before eventually leading investigators to her body. A jury found him guilty and recommended a death sentence by a 9-3 vote.
The case drew particular attention because the killing occurred while Lukehart was serving probation for a previous child abuse conviction involving another infant. In that case, court records show the child suffered multiple injuries, “including broken ribs, retinal hemorrhages, and trauma to the head.” The child also suffered a fractured skull and other broken bones.
Over the years, Lukehart challenged his conviction and sentence through multiple appeals, arguing issues including alleged Miranda violations, improper jury instructions and insufficient evidence of premeditation. Courts ultimately rejected those claims, leaving his conviction and death sentence intact.
What happened to Gabrielle Hanshaw?
On Feb. 25, 1996, Lukehart was living in Jacksonville with his girlfriend, Misty Rhue, her daughters Gabrielle and Ashley, and other family members, according to prosecutors.
After returning home from an outing, Rhue took Ashley into a bedroom while Lukehart stayed behind with Gabrielle, who was 5 months old. A short time later, Rhue heard a vehicle start and saw Lukehart driving away.
About 30 minutes later, he called from a convenience store and claimed Gabrielle had been kidnapped, prosecutors said. He told Rhue to call 911.
Why did police doubt the kidnapping story?
Authorities quickly launched a large-scale search involving officers from Jacksonville and Clay County after Lukehart reported that Gabrielle had been abducted.
Investigators later found Lukehart near his abandoned vehicle, which was still running. As the search continued, police became suspicious of his account.
According to court records, Lukehart eventually admitted the kidnapping story was false.
How did Gabrielle Hanshaw die?
Court records show Lukehart later confessed that Gabrielle died inside the home after he dropped and shook her.
After the baby’s death, he told investigators he panicked and disposed of her body in a pond near Normandy Boulevard.
Authorities later recovered Gabrielle’s body from the pond.
When is Andrew Lukehart scheduled to be executed and where?
Lukehart is scheduled to be put to death by lethal injection starting at 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday, June 2, at Florida State Prison near Starke.
Will a stay be granted for Andrew Lukehart?
A stay of execution appears unlikely, particularly after courts declined to intervene in the recent execution of Richard Knight despite similar challenges to Florida’s lethal injection procedures.
Lukehart’s attorneys have petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to review his case, arguing that Florida’s execution protocol creates an unconstitutional risk of severe pain and suffering. They also contend that the state has denied him a meaningful opportunity to challenge those procedures before his scheduled execution.
So far, however, both the Florida Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court have repeatedly rejected similar claims in other death penalty cases.
Why are some advocates opposing Andrew Lukehart’s execution?
Members of Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty and other opponents of capital punishment are urging state officials to halt Lukehart’s execution and commute his sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Supporters and anti-death penalty advocates plan to hold a vigil outside the execution chamber at Florida State Prison in Raiford beginning at 5 p.m. on June 2. Additional vigils are scheduled in communities across Florida.
The group argues that jurors heard significant mitigating evidence during Lukehart’s trial, including testimony that he grew up in an abusive and deeply dysfunctional environment marked by alcoholism, violence, sexual abuse, mental illness and repeated loss. Advocates note that the evidence persuaded three jurors to vote for a life sentence rather than death.
Who has Florida executed in 2026?
To date, the state of Florida has executed seven people this year:
Former Lake County police officer James Duckett was scheduled for a March execution, but the execution was stayed pending DNA evidence.
Why are Florida’s lethal injection protocols under fire as executions continue to increase?
Attorneys for the executed felons and anti-death-penalty advocates have raised concerns about the sudden speed at which Florida is clearing out death row, citing documents released last year, which seem to indicate the state has not followed its own lethal injection protocols and used the wrong or expired chemicals or insufficient dosages in multiple incidents. That could lead to cruel and unusual punishment during the execution, a violation of the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
Both the Florida Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court have denied all appeals that have used that argument, although Justice Sonia Sotomayor had concerns over Florida’s protocols and secrecy, calling the state’s record “deeply troubling.”
How many people have been executed in Florida in the last 50 years?
Of the 131 people executed in Florida in the last 50 years, nearly 20% of them (25) have been put to death in the last 14 months.
Contributing: Scott Butler, Metro Editor for The Florida Times-Union.
Doris Alvarez is a Breaking and Trending Reporter for The Florida Times-Union. You can get all of Jacksonville’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free Daily Briefing and News Alerts newsletters at jacksonville.com/newsletters.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville man Andrew Lukehart set for execution June 2. Here’s why
Reporting by Doris Alvarez Cea and C. A. Bridges, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
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