John Koch, 76, has spent nearly four decades covering every execution in Florida, including the recent lethal injection of Frank Athen Walls. Traveling from his northern Florida home to the state prison near Starke, Koch meticulously records each event, keeping track of minute-by-minute details despite doing so independently after his long-term employer ended his contract. According to El País, he estimates he has attended 105 executions since 1989, beginning with the electric chair execution of serial killer Ted Bundy.
This year, Florida set a record with 19 executions—almost half of the 47 carried out nationwide. Legal changes allowing juries to impose the death penalty without unanimity, and broadening the grounds for capital punishment, have accelerated the state’s use of executions, according to Koch and analysts cited by El País. In comparison, only three executions were ordered between 2023 and 2024, and none occurred from 2020 to 2022.
Koch’s work highlights both the mechanics and the human dimensions of the death penalty. He produces concise audio dispatches, noting the actions of the condemned, prison staff, and spiritual advisors, capturing moments such as the Last Rites or expressions of remorse. “There’s a lot of energy. The spirit rested before the body and the soul is destined to go. I’m very sensitive to that,” he told El País. Despite the emotional weight, Koch maintains a disciplined detachment, focusing on accuracy and the public’s right to be informed.
Civil rights organizations have criticized Florida’s increased executions, highlighting irregular judicial processes and the execution of inmates with potential intellectual disabilities, such as Walls. Abraham Bonowitz of Death Penalty Action suggested political motivations underlie Governor Ron DeSantis’ accelerated schedule, noting it may be linked to his presidential ambitions and prior criticisms for not executing enough.
Koch, nicknamed “Doctor Death” by colleagues, reflects on the unique challenges of reporting from behind prison walls, where access is restricted to a handful of journalists, family members, legal witnesses, and officials. He funds his travel independently, calculating the cost of gas, meals, and time, which he says totals $56.73 per execution.
A Vietnam War veteran and former anti-war activist, Koch maintains a philosophical view of his work. He refrains from expressing personal opinions on the death penalty in his reporting, emphasizing the journalist’s role in documenting the law in action rather than advocating for or against it. “It is the law and if people don’t like the law, then they have the right to change it,” he told El País.
As Florida continues its unprecedented use of capital punishment, Koch remains committed to bearing witness, chronicling a practice that is as controversial as it is consequential, and ensuring that the public can see, hear, and understand how the state executes its most severe sentences.
