Elmer Carroll was executed by the State of Florida for the sexual assault and murder of a child. According to court documents Elmer Carroll was a convicted child sexual predator who was just released from prison and staying in a halfway house next door to that of the ten year old victim. Elmer Carroll would sneak into the home and sexually assault ten year old Christine McGowen before killing the child. Elmer Carroll would be convicted and sentenced to death. Elmer Carroll would be executed by lethal injection on May 29, 2013
Elmer Carroll More News
His last appeal rejected by the Florida Supreme Court, Elmer Carroll died by lethal injection Wednesday for the 1990 murder of Christine McGowen, a 10-year-old girl from northwest Orange County.
Carroll, 56, died at 6:12 p.m. at Florida State Prison in Starke, the Florida Department of Corrections said.
Carroll declined to make a final statement, but Christine’s mother, Julie McGowen, issued one: “Thank you to all that have worked so hard, and justice for all, namely, Christine McGowen. Rest in peace.”
Carroll raped and strangled Christine in her bed Oct. 30, 1990 while her stepfather slept in another room and her mother was at work. The family lived next door to the halfway house where Carroll was staying after his release from prison.
He was convicted of lewd conduct with two other children before he met Christine.
At 10 a.m. Wednesday, Carroll ate a last meal of sunny-side-up eggs with bacon and sliced tomatoes, biscuits, avocados, a fruit salad of strawberries, papaya, peaches and pineapple and canned milk.
He had two visitors — death-penalty opponents Susan Cary, a lawyer, and Dale Recinella, a Catholic lay chaplain, author and lawyer.
Orange-Osceola State Attorney Jeff Ashton, who prosecuted the case, attended the execution.
“For me, it’s completion,” Ashton said.
At 5 p.m., the Catholic Diocese of Orlando held a service at St. James Cathedral to pray for the death penalty to be abolished.
“It’s a destructive tool rather than a preventive tool,” Bishop John Noonan told about 30 people assembled for the service.
Carroll was written up 20 times in more than 20 years on death row for prison infractions including attempted arson, possession of contraband and, in December, for making threats.
