Richard Knight, 47, was pronounced dead Thursday evening after the state of Florida carried out his execution for the 2,000 stabbing murders of a woman and her young daughter.
Court records state that after Stephens gave Knight an ultimatum to move out of their home, he stabbed her multiple times until she stopped defending herself, and then stabbed her 4-year-old daughter, Hanessia.
After the knife broke during the attack, he retrieved a second knife and returned to Stephens, who had by then crawled to the living room.
Knight was sentenced to death after being convicted of two counts of first-degree murder.
The execution took place at Florida State Prison near Starke. When the chamber curtain opened at the scheduled 6 p.m. start time, Knight was already restrained with arms extended and an IV line in place.
Asked by the warden for a final statement, Knight said, "I want to give thanks to Yahweh, who is the most high."
The three-drug lethal injection, a sedative, a paralytic, and a cardiac arrest agent, was administered immediately following his words. Knight closed his eyes and remained largely still as the drugs took effect. He was pronounced dead at 6:13 p.m., approximately 10 minutes after the execution began.
Hans Mullings, Stephens's boyfriend and Hanessia's father, attended Thursday's execution and spoke to reporters afterward.
"The pain never leaves," Mullings said. "We love them still, and we can't stop loving them. We miss them a lot."
Stephens's mother and sisters did not attend but released a written statement.
"Words cannot express the profound sense of peace and finality we feel today," it read. "While this does not fill the empty space in our hearts, the closing of this long, painful chapter allows us to fully focus on honoring the beautiful lives of Odessia and Hanessia."