Why did this execution take twenty-three years

Twenty-three years of feeding, housing, providing medical care, recreation, and care to Elmer Leon Carroll ended less than an hour ago when he was executed by lethal injection at Florida State Prison for the 1990 rape and strangulation murder of 10-year-old Christine McGowan in Apopka.

More than twice the number of years this child enjoyed in her life, Florida taxpayers have waited, delayed, and paid to sustain the legal wrangling and excruciatingly painful appeals afforded to her killer.

For the record, Carroll is white — my disgust has nothing to do with his race.

For the record, Carroll was a resident in a halfway house because of previous, sex crimes.

For the record, Carroll remarked to other residents about the “cute” girl next door before he raped and murdered her.

For the record, Carroll’s saliva, semen and pubic hair matched DNA evidence collected from the victim — there was little doubt about his sexual contact with this child.

Forty days ago, the governor signed the death warrant ordering the Carroll execution to be carried out. At 6:00 p.m. tonight, it was. Our system of justice is broken when we take twenty-three years to execute child murderers.