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CrimeQuiet 13d · day 14

Florida executes Conahan for 1996 Hog Trail Murder conviction

Daniel Owen Conahan Jr., 72, becomes Florida's 15th execution this year for a 1996 killing linked to a series of unsolved homicides.

newest coverage 13d agosummary written 13d ago13 pieces NewswiresMastodon

What to know

  • Daniel Owen Conahan Jr., 72, was executed by lethal injection on September 10, 2026, for the 1996 kidnapping and strangling of Richard Allen Montgomery, one of at least six suspected victims in the 'Hog Trail Murders' series.
  • Conahan maintained his innocence for 27 years and argued the evidence was circumstantial; he sought DNA testing from March 2025 onward but was denied by the Florida Supreme Court, which ruled last week that exculpatory DNA would not exonerate him.
  • His execution is Florida's 15th in 2026, with the state accounting for more than half of the 24 U.S. executions this year under Gov. Ron DeSantis, who leaves office in January.

“The petition said he has been requesting DNA testing since March 2025 of evidence collected at the scene and from Montgomery's body to 'conclusively establish that he is not responsible for the death'.”

Conahan's legal filing, Death row inmate's appeal · Guardian US ↗ · Sep 9

Daniel Owen Conahan Jr. Convicted killer, death row inmateRichard Allen Montgomery VictimRon DeSantisRon DeSantis Florida governorFlorida Supreme Court Appeals authority

Florida executes Conahan for 1996 Hog Trail Murder conviction
Philadelphia Inquirer

How it unfolded 1 development · click the chart to see its coverage articlesposts

Peak 3 pieces in 4h at Sep 10, 3 PM; 13 pieces over 14 days (10 articles · 3 posts) Sep 9, 11 PM — 2 pieces · 2 articles — Newswires 2Sep 10, 3 AM — quietSep 10, 7 AM — 2 pieces · 2 articles — Newswires 2Sep 10, 11 AM — 2 pieces · 1 article · 1 post — Mastodon 1, Newswires 1Sep 10, 3 PM — 3 pieces · 3 articles — Newswires 3Sep 10, 7 PM — 3 pieces · 1 article · 2 posts — Mastodon 2, Newswires 1Sep 10, 11 PM — 1 piece · 1 article — Newswires 1Sep 11, 3 AM — quietSep 11, 7 AM — quietSep 11, 11 AM — quietSep 11, 3 PM — quietSep 11, 7 PM — quietSep 11, 11 PM — quietSep 12, 3 AM — quietSep 12, 7 AM — quietSep 12, 11 AM — quietSep 12, 3 PM — quietSep 12, 7 PM — quietSep 12, 11 PM — quietSep 13, 3 AM — quietSep 13, 7 AM — quietSep 13, 11 AM — quietSep 13, 3 PM — quietSep 13, 7 PM — quietSep 13, 11 PM — quietSep 14, 3 AM — quietSep 14, 7 AM — quietSep 14, 11 AM — quietSep 14, 3 PM — quietSep 14, 7 PM — quietSep 14, 11 PM — quietSep 15, 3 AM — quietSep 15, 7 AM — quietSep 15, 11 AM — quietSep 15, 3 PM — quietSep 15, 7 PM — quietSep 15, 11 PM — quietSep 16, 3 AM — quietSep 16, 7 AM — quietSep 16, 11 AM — quietSep 16, 3 PM — quietSep 16, 7 PM — quietSep 16, 11 PM — quietSep 17, 3 AM — quietSep 17, 7 AM — quietSep 17, 11 AM — quietSep 17, 3 PM — quietSep 17, 7 PM — quietSep 17, 11 PM — quietSep 18, 3 AM — quietSep 18, 7 AM — quietSep 18, 11 AM — quietSep 18, 3 PM — quietSep 18, 7 PM — quietSep 18, 11 PM — quietSep 19, 3 AM — quietSep 19, 7 AM — quietSep 19, 11 AM — quietSep 19, 3 PM — quietSep 19, 7 PM — quietSep 19, 11 PM — quietSep 20, 3 AM — quietSep 20, 7 AM — quietSep 20, 11 AM — quietSep 20, 3 PM — quietSep 20, 7 PM — quietSep 20, 11 PM — quietSep 21, 3 AM — quietSep 21, 7 AM — quietSep 21, 11 AM — quietSep 21, 3 PM — quietSep 21, 7 PM — quietSep 21, 11 PM — quietSep 22, 3 AM — quietSep 22, 7 AM — quietSep 22, 11 AM — quietSep 22, 3 PM — quietSep 22, 7 PM — quietSep 22, 11 PM — quietYesterday, 3 AM — quietYesterday, 7 AM — quietYesterday, 11 AM — quietYesterday, 3 PM — quietYesterday, 7 PM — quietYesterday, 11 PM — quiet 1
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  1. 1

    Conahan executed by lethal injection

    Daniel Owen Conahan Jr. was executed by lethal injection on September 10, 2026, at 6 p.m. He became Florida's 15th execution in 2026, the state's busiest execution year. Conahan awoke at 5:30 a.m. and ate a last meal of chicken, baked potato, corn, soda, and pumpkin pie.

    “Conahan, who has maintained his innocence, was previously identified by authorities as a person of interest in the other deaths, but he was never charged. He argued that the evidence against him was circumstantial.”
    — Guardian reporting, News outlet · source
    1. 5 outlets Florida suspected serial killer faces execution for 1996 strangling connected to ‘Hog Trail Murders’

      first by NY Post, 13d ago · also Guardian, Hindustan Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, UPI

      7 more headlines

    • HOG TRAIL KILLER: Florida is set to execute ‘Hog Trail Killer’ Daniel Conahan at 6 p.m. Thursday evening.

      ianhillmedia@threads.netMastodon13d agoview on Mastodon ↗
  2. background

    Florida Supreme Court denies final appeals — The Florida Supreme Court denied Conahan's final appeals last week, including his request for additional DNA testing. Within 24 hours, the court ruled that proving Montgomery had DNA on his body from someone other than Conahan would not exonerate him.

  3. background

    Conahan requests DNA testing to establish innocence — Conahan filed a petition requesting DNA testing of evidence collected at the scene and from Montgomery's body, beginning a formal request process in March 2025 to prove his non-involvement in the death.

  4. background

    Conahan convicted of Montgomery's murder and kidnapping — Conahan waived his right to a jury trial and was convicted by a judge of murder and kidnapping in August 1999 for the 1996 kidnapping and strangling of Richard Allen Montgomery. Conahan maintained his innocence and argued the evidence against him was circumstantial.

  5. background

    Conahan arrested for homicide investigation — Daniel Owen Conahan Jr., 72, was arrested in July 1996 after local and state law enforcement investigated a series of homicides. Detectives had started looking into Conahan after a man imprisoned for stealing his car claimed Conahan had lured him to a remote area and offered to pay him to pose for nude photos.

  6. background

    First body discovered in Charlotte County woods — Hunters found the first body in February 1994 in a wooded southwest Florida area. Over the next three years, at least five more bodies were discovered in the same region, eventually dubbed the 'Hog Trail Murders' because of the swampy, wooded locations where remains were found.