Gov. Scott signs death warrant for killer

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MIAMI, Sept. 6 (UPI) -- Florida Gov. Rick Scott signed a death warrant for John Errol Ferguson, who was found guilty of eight murders in two incidents in Florida in the 1970s.

The warrant, signed Tuesday, came after more than 30 years of appeals and pleas of clemency on Ferguson's behalf, the Miami Herald reported.

"He's the most vicious, dangerous and violent murderer in Dade County, if not in many years, ever," former Assistant State Attorney Leonard Glick said during a clemency hearing in 1987. "Nothing warrants mercy on his behalf before the board of clemency."

Ferguson, 64, was convicted in 1978 of the murders of six Carol City residents during a home invasion robbery in 1977. Later that year he was also found guilty in the deaths of two Hialeah teenagers, whom he abducted and killed in January 1978.

"The signing of a death warrant is one of the governor's most solemn duties, and one that he does not take lightly," Scott's spokesperson said in a statement. "His foremost concerns are the consideration for the families of the victims and to make sure justice prevails."

Ferguson's execution is scheduled for Oct. 16 at 6 p.m.