Florida executed Richard Knight, 47, for the murders of Odessia Stephens and her 4-year-old daughter, Hanessia Mullings, bringing a close to a case that began more than two decades ago in Broward County. Knight was pronounced dead at Florida State Prison following a lethal injection, becoming one of several inmates executed in Florida during an active period of capital punishment enforcement in the state.
The investigation dates back to June 2000, when authorities responded to a residence in Coral Springs after Stephens and her young daughter were found dead. Detectives quickly determined that both victims had suffered fatal stab wounds. Crime scene investigators collected forensic evidence, interviewed witnesses, and focused on individuals who had regular access to the home in the days leading up to the killings.
According to court records, Knight had been living with Stephens, his cousin, and her daughter at the time. Investigators learned that tensions had developed over his living arrangements and that arguments between Knight and Stephens had become increasingly frequent. Detectives worked to reconstruct the timeline of the final days before the murders, reviewing witness statements and physical evidence recovered from the scene.
As the investigation progressed, authorities identified Knight as the primary suspect. Prosecutors later argued that the killings occurred after Stephens told him he would need to move out of the residence. Detectives continued gathering evidence while tracing Knight’s actions before and after the crime. The case eventually led to his arrest and prosecution on two counts of first-degree murder.
One of the most significant developments came while Knight was being held in the Broward County Jail. According to trial testimony, a fellow inmate reported that Knight had confessed to the killings. Prosecutors combined that testimony with forensic evidence and investigative findings to present a detailed case to jurors during the trial.
In 2006, a jury convicted Knight of both murders and recommended a death sentence. Over the following years, the case moved through multiple appeals in both state and federal courts. Defense attorneys challenged various aspects of the conviction and sentence, but the rulings consistently upheld the verdict and punishment imposed by the trial court.
At the execution, Knight’s final statement was brief, thanking Yahweh before the lethal injection process began. For investigators and prosecutors, the execution marked the conclusion of a case built through forensic evidence, witness interviews, and a jailhouse confession. For the families of Odessia Stephens and Hanessia Mullings, it represented the final legal chapter in a tragedy that had remained unresolved in the courts for more than two decades.
