Florida has carried out the execution of Daniel Owen Conahan Jr., a 72-year-old man convicted in the 1996 killing of Richard Allen Montgomery, whose death was linked to a series of unsolved killings known as the “Hog Trail Murders.” Conahan’s execution on Thursday marked Florida’s 15th execution of 2026.
Conahan was pronounced dead at 6:12 p.m. at Florida State Prison near Starke after receiving a three-drug lethal injection. He had been sentenced to death for kidnapping and strangling Montgomery, whose body was discovered in a wooded area of southwest Florida.
Final Moments Before Execution
Conahan was taken to the execution chamber shortly before 6 p.m. with an IV already placed in his arm. A spiritual adviser remained nearby and prayed during the procedure.
When asked whether he had a final statement, Conahan responded, “No sir.” The lethal injection began at approximately 6:01 p.m. He briefly displayed physical movement before becoming still.
A medical professional entered the chamber several minutes later to check his vital signs. He was officially pronounced dead at 6:12 p.m.
Case Became Known as the Hog Trail Murders
Conahan was arrested in 1996 following an investigation into multiple killings in Charlotte County, north of Fort Myers. Authorities had spent more than two years examining a series of cases involving bodies discovered in wooded areas.
The first body was found by hunters in February 1994, followed by the discovery of at least five additional bodies over the next three years. Because many of the remains were badly decomposed and were found in remote, swampy areas, the cases became known as the “Hog Trail Murders.”
Investigators eventually concluded that the victims were primarily homeless men. Montgomery’s body was considered different because authorities believed he had been killed less than a day before his remains were discovered.
Evidence Led Investigators to Conahan
The investigation turned toward Conahan after a man imprisoned for stealing his car told authorities that Conahan had allegedly taken him to a remote location and offered money for nude photographs. The man said he became suspicious after seeing a knife and escaped using Conahan’s vehicle.
Detectives later found similarities with another Fort Myers case in which a man said someone offering money for nude photographs had tied him to a tree and attempted to strangle him.
Conahan was subsequently arrested and charged with attempted murder. Months later, prosecutors also charged him in connection with Montgomery’s death.
He waived his right to a jury trial and was convicted by a judge of murder and kidnapping in August 1999.
Conahan Was Never Charged in Other Deaths
Although authorities identified Conahan as a person of interest in other killings, he was never formally charged in those cases. He maintained that the evidence connecting him to Montgomery’s death was circumstantial.
A sheriff’s office investigation later concluded that victims whose bodies were discovered within a 10-mile radius were likely killed by the same person. In 2007, a land survey team discovered eight additional bodies in the Fort Myers area. Several identified victims were homeless and had injuries similar to those found on victims in the Charlotte County cases.
Victim’s Family Reacts to Execution
Corrections officials said 11 members of victims’ families attended Thursday’s execution, although they did not identify which victims the relatives represented.
Joan Rodemann, whose brother William Melaragno was identified as one of the victims associated with the Hog Trail cases, issued a statement welcoming Conahan’s death and expressing sympathy for the victims and their families.
Florida Continues to Lead U.S. Executions
Thursday’s execution further cemented Florida’s position as the leading state for executions in the United States this year. Florida has conducted more than half of the 25 executions carried out nationwide in 2026 so far, under Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Florida recorded 19 lethal injections in 2025, the highest annual number in the state since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976. Another execution is scheduled for September 29, when 77-year-old Curtis Wilkie Beasley is set to be put to death for the 1995 killing of a woman and theft of her vehicle.