Lauren Cole convicted of the 1994 murder of 19-year-old John Edwards in the OA national forest was executed in Florida this week the brutal crime shocked the nation Edwards was kidnapped tortured and killed in a horrifying act of violence for decades Cole's case wound through the courts with numerous appeals seeking to overturn his death sentence but now after 30 years of legal battles Florida has carried out his execution this case has reignited the longstanding debate over capital punishment proponents of the death penalty see this as Justice finally being served for a heinous crime offering some closure to the family of John Edwards on the other hand critics argue that the execution reflects the moral and ethical concerns of State sanctions death with public opinion increasingly shifting against capital punishment Florida remains one of the few States actively enforcing it as protests were held outside the prison on the day of the execution The Divide over this issue became clear once again this execution raises important questions about the future of capital punishment in America is it an essential tool for justice or a relic of an outdated system for Ono going updates on major legal cases like this and other significant news stories subscribe to my channel and hit the notification Bell what do you think is the death penalty still Justified or should it be abolished join the conversation in the comments below