August Execution Set For Florida Killer Who Targeted Gay Men

TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami/AP) — Florida's controversial death penalty is expected to claim another life in the coming months.

A convicted killer in Florida who authorities say targeted gay men is scheduled to be executed later this summer.

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a death warrant Tuesday for 57-year-old Gary Ray Bowles. The execution is set for Aug. 22 at Florida State Prison.

Records show Bowles was convicted of three murders and sentenced to death for the 1994 slaying of Walter Hinton.

Authorities say Bowles agreed to help Hinton move items from Georgia to Hinton's Jacksonville home in November 1994. While staying with Hinton, Bowles dropped a concrete block on the other man's head and then strangled him.

Police say Bowles confessed to the killing after his arrest and professed hatred for homosexuals. Investigators say Bowles also admitted to killing five other men across Florida, Georgia and Maryland.

(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)