James Robertson: October 13, 2026

On October 13, 2026 the State of Florida is scheduled to execute James Robertson for the 2008 murder of 52-year-old Frank Richard Hart at Charlotte Correctional Institution.

Robertson entered Florida’s adult prison system at seventeen with a ten-year sentence. Twenty-eight years later, additional sentences for crimes committed in custody had kept him incarcerated, and he had begun planning a murder with a specific goal: getting onto death row.

This episode follows Robertson’s childhood, the burglary arrest that sent him to adult prison, his years of violence and close-management confinement, Frank’s life and murder, and the unusual legal proceedings that followed as Robertson sought a death sentence and resisted efforts to overturn it. It also includes Frank’s daughter Rebecca’s memories of her father and her perspective on the loss her family continues to carry.

SOURCES

Robertson v. State, Florida Supreme Court, July 10, 2014 — mandatory death-sentence review, Robertson’s request to limit his appeal, and appointed counsel’s motion to withdraw.

Robertson v. State, Florida Supreme Court, March 17, 2016 — guilty plea, mental-health evaluations, sentencing findings, mitigation, and direct-appeal decisions.

Robertson v. State, Florida Supreme Court, December 1, 2016 — review of Robertson’s waiver of postconviction proceedings and discharge of counsel.

Initial Brief of Appellant, Robertson v. State, August 22, 2014 — childhood and prison history, the 2011 jail-officer attack, defense representation, and challenges to the sentencing process.

Answer Brief of Appellee, Robertson v. State, December 3, 2014 — procedural history, agreed facts concerning Frank’s murder, evaluations, and sentencing evidence.

Florida Department of Corrections, Corrections Offender Network — Robertson’s and Frank Richard Hart’s identifying information, incarceration histories, convictions, and sentences.

Bradford County Clerk of Court, case 9500411CFAXMX — Robertson’s attempted-murder and inmate-weapon charges, no-contest plea, and sentences.

Florida juvenile-prosecution law and State v. Cain, Florida Supreme Court — historical provisions allowing certain juveniles to be prosecuted as adults.

I Am a Killer, Season 1, Episode 1, Netflix — interviews with James Robertson, Ann Otwell, Robert Lynch, Mike Gottfried, Robertson’s attorney, and his cousin; archival documents and custody records presented in the episode.

Rebecca Hart, public posts and replies in Reddit’s r/IAmAKiller and on Facebook — memories of Frank’s work, interests and fatherhood; statements about his mental health, cell placement, and the family’s experience of the documentary.

Rebecca Hart, “Help Me Be There for My Dad — Frank Richard Hart,” SupportNow, October 2026 — family grief, reasons for wanting to attend the execution, and travel fundraising.

Drew Winchester, Charlotte Sun, “Fla. murderer requests, receives death sentence,” December 19, 2012, republished by Corrections1 — contemporaneous sentencing coverage and the additional sentence for the jail-officer attack.

News Service of Florida, October 2026 warrant reporting — Robertson’s death warrant and scheduled execution.

Associated Press, October 2026 reporting — withdrawal of William Lee Thompson’s separate death warrant and Robertson’s remaining execution date.

Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops, October 7, 2026 — public request to halt the executions and commute the sentences to life without parole.