Execution Date Set for Convicted Killer Who Staged Infant’s Abduction

A Florida man, convicted of a heinous crime involving the death of his girlfriend’s infant, now has an execution date set. Andrew Richard Lukehart, 53, was sentenced to death for the brutal murder of five-month-old Gabrielle Hanshaw back in February 1996.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has authorized his ninth execution this year, signing the death warrant for Lukehart. The execution by lethal injection is scheduled for June 2, 2026.

At the time of the crime, Lukehart was 22 years old. According to court documents accessed by News4Jax, he attempted to change Gabrielle’s diaper. When she resisted by not lying flat, he responded by ‘forcefully and repeatedly’ pushing her head and neck against the floor, resulting in her death.

In an attempt to conceal his actions, Lukehart disposed of Gabrielle’s body in a nearby pond before fleeing the scene.

The murderer then disposed of the infant’s body in a nearby pond and fled the scene.

About 30 minutes later, he called his girlfriend and claimed an individual had kidnapped the girl and that he was chasing them. 

Lukehart told police that Gabrielle was snatched from the front of his partner’s home, but he contradicted his own statement, later claiming the abduction unfolded at a store. 

He eventually admitted to the heinous crimes and the killing of the infant. 

Andrew Richard Lukehart, 53, was convicted and given the death penalty for the murder of five-month-old Gabrielle Hanshaw in February 1996

Lukehart, who was 22 at the time, attempted to change Gabrielle’s diaper, but when she would not lie flat, he ‘forcefully and repeatedly pushed her head and neck to the floor’

Lukehart telling the court he ‘panicked,’ after he realized the baby stopped breathing

During his trial, Lukehart testified and told jurors he handled the baby so violently that she stopped breathing, causing him to ‘panic.’

‘I got scared, and I started to panic, and I ran outside, threw the diaper away, and I jumped into my car and started it up and left,’ he said.

‘I felt bad. I felt guilty,’ he added.

After an hour and a half, the jury declared Lukehart guilty. A month after his conviction, in March 1997, the jury voted 9–3 to recommend the death penalty.

Upon hearing the ruling, an eerily stoic Lukehart sat in court, while his family caused a scene – his mother became distraught and ran out of the courtroom shouting. 

This death sentencing follows another Florida killer who was executed on Thursday after he murdered his brother’s stepdaughter five decades ago. 

James Ernest Hitchcock, 70, was convicted of strangling and beating 13-year-old Cynthia Driggers to death in 1976. 

Hitchcock was executed by lethal injection at about 6:12 p.m. at Florida State Prison after Governor Ron DeSantis signed his death warrant on March 30. 

After an hour and a half, the jury declared Lukehart guilty

Lukehart’s girlfriend, she told the outlet at the time that she wanted the death penalty for her ex

Last year, 47 people received the death penalty and were executed in the US.

Florida had the most executions, with Alabama, South Carolina, and Texas all tying for second with five executions each in 2025.

In Florida, all executions are carried out by lethal injection, with a sedative, paralytic, and a drug that stops the heart all administered to the subject, according to the Department of Corrections.