Harold Gene Lucas, 74, was executed at Florida State Prison near Starke on September 1, 2026, for the 1976 shooting death of 16-year-old Jill Piper and the wounding of her friends Richard Byrd Jr. and Terri Rice. ^[1] On August 14, 1976, Lucas shot 16-year-old Jill Piper four times in the back, then chased her and shot her three more times, including a fatal shot to the back of the head; he also shot Richard Byrd Jr in the stomach and Terri Rice in the hip, both of whom survived. ^[2] Florida has carried out 14 executions this year, making it the state with the most executions in the U.S. for 2026 so far. ^[3] Lucas was pronounced dead at 6:18 p.m. following a three-drug injection administered at 6 p.m. in the death chamber. ^[4] Lucas waived his right to all post-conviction proceedings, telling a judge he was 'tired' of the matter and saying 'The sooner it's over, the better. I'll enjoy it.' ^[5] Lucas was sentenced to death four times for the 1976 murder of Jill Piper due to a series of procedural errors that kept the case moving in and out of court until the early 1990s. ^[6] Lucas had previously dated Piper and worked for her family before the attack, and witnesses testified that he threatened to kill her about a week before the shooting. ^[7]