Florida death row inmate seeks stay of execution seeking DNA evidence in 1996 crime

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorneys asked the Supreme Court Monday to stay the execution of a Florida death row inmate scheduled to die by lethal injection Thursday for the 1996 kidnapping and strangulation of a man who was found nude and emasculated.

Daniel Conahan Jr., 72, was sentenced to death for the April 1996 killing of Richard Montgomery. The victim was found in a wooded area in Charlotte County, Florida, which was described as what appeared to be a dumping area that contained a lot of trash.

Authorities said Conahan killed Montgomery after paying him to pose f or nude photos. Authorities suspect him of similar homicides committed in the 1990s in southwest Florida.

Conahan has denied his involvement in Montgomery's murder. The petition said he has been requesting DNA testing since March 2025 of evidence collected at the scene and from Montgomery’s body to “conclusively establish that he is not responsible for the death.”

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed his death warrant Aug. 11 while his motion for DNA testing was pending, the petition for the stay says. Within 24 hours of that warrant being signed the state postconviction court denied the motion.

“Mr. Conahan does not ask to be declared innocent at this posture. Nor does he ask to be released from prison. All he asks is for this Court to stay his imminent execution so that this Court can review his meritorious claims,” the filing says.

Florida has executed 14 people this year.