Killer who faked a baby's abduction to cover up his heinous crimes learns when he will be put to death

Published: 05:23, 5 May 2026 | Updated: 05:23, 5 May 2026 An execution date has been set for a Florida man who killed his girlfriend's baby and tried to cover it up.  Andrew Richard Lukehart, 53, was convicted and given the death penalty for the murder of five-month-old Gabrielle Hanshaw in February 1996.  Florida Gov Ron DeSantis signed his ninth death warrant this year for Lukehart, who is now scheduled to die by lethal injection on June 2, 2026.  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,' killing her, according to court records obtained by News4Jax. 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. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.