Bryan Jennings is the Florida prisoner condemned for the 1979 kidnapping, sexual battery and murder of 6-year-old Rebecca “Becky” Kunash in Brevard County; his execution is scheduled for Thursday, November 13, 2025, at Florida State Prison.
Bryan Fredrick Jennings | Pic Credit Murderpedia
Last updated: November 14, 2025
👉 On November 13, 2025, Florida carried out the death sentence of Bryan Frederick Jennings, 66, at Florida State Prison near Starke. Sentenced to die for the 1979 abduction, rape, and drowning of 6-year-old Rebecca “Becky” Kunash in Brevard County, Jennings woke around 4 a.m., ate a last meal of a cheeseburger, French fries, and a soda, and met with one visitor before being strapped to the gurney. At 6:02 p.m., the state began a three-drug lethal injection; he was pronounced dead at 6:20 p.m. When asked for any final words, Jennings answered simply, “No.” His execution marked Florida’s record-setting 16th execution of 2025.
Bryan Jennings | Death Row Roll Call 2025
Stats
- Full Name: Bryan Fredrick Jennings
- AKA: –
- Born: December 9, 1958 (Ohio)
- Crimes: Kidnapping, Sexual Battery, First-Degree Murder of Rebecca Sue Kunash (age 6) – May 11, 1979 (Brevard County, FL)
- Arrest/Convicted: Arrested May 1979; convicted February 1980; resentencings and appellate reversals followed; death sentence re-imposed in 1986
- Sentence: Death (Florida)
- Current Status: On Florida death row (Florida State Prison); execution date set for Nov 13, 2025
Classification & Characteristics
Jennings is best characterized as a predatory child-victim offender whose crime involved home intrusion/abduction, sexual assault, and homicide by drowning (with blunt-force head trauma). His case is notable for long, complex appellate history (guilt and penalty retrials, resentencing, and federal habeas), followed by renewed warrant activity in 2025. Offense behavior reflects opportunistic targeting, situational control, and extreme violence, with post-offense statements and physical evidence (including prints and confession evidence) anchoring the conviction.
Case Summary – Bryan Frederick Jennings
Bryan Frederick Jennings is a Florida death row inmate convicted of the 1979 abduction and murder of 6-year-old Rebecca “Becky” Kunash on Merritt Island in Brevard County. In the early morning hours, Becky was taken from her bedroom and later found dead in a nearby canal, with evidence of head trauma and immersion. Investigators linked Jennings to the crime through fingerprint evidence at the child’s window, a recorded statement, and additional supporting testimony, leading to his conviction and death sentence. After decades of appeals, resentencing, and a previously stayed execution date, Jennings is again under a current warrant for execution on November 13, 2025, at Florida State Prison.
Timeline of Bryan Jennings Murder →
- May 11, 1979 – Brevard County (Merritt Island): 6-year-old Rebecca Kunash abducted from her bedroom, sexually assaulted, and drowned in a canal; blunt-force trauma noted. CC Frontend Template+1
- May–Jun 1979: Jennings arrested; pretrial litigation over admissibility of confession; judge allows the tape. Wikipedia
- Feb 7–11, 1980: Jury finds Jennings guilty; jury recommends death (11–1). May 7, 1980: court imposes death sentence. Wikipedia
- 1982–1985: Florida Supreme Court orders new trial/resentencing; U.S. Supreme Court issues remand; subsequent Florida rulings follow. FSU Law Library
- 1986: Death sentence re-imposed after further proceedings; later appeals continue. AP News
- Oct 26–27, 1989: Stay of execution granted on the eve of a scheduled electrocution. Wikipedia
- 2007–2010s: Federal habeas and successive collateral litigation resolved adversely to Jennings. Justia Law
- Oct 10–13, 2025: Governor Ron DeSantis signs death warrant; execution set for Nov 13, 2025; media note pending appeals. AP News+1
- Oct 27, 2025: Filing seeks stay citing representation issues; Florida Supreme Court docket activity ongoing. WUSF+1
- Oct 29, 2025: Coverage notes Jennings next on Florida calendar following Norman Grim execution. New York Post
→ Quick Answers
- Who: Bryan Frederick Jennings – Florida death row inmate convicted of the 1979 kidnapping, sexual battery, and murder of 6-year-old Rebecca “Becky” Kunash in Brevard County.
- Where now: Florida State Prison (Raiford/Starke), under a death sentence in the Florida Department of Corrections.
- Current legal stage: Pre-execution warrant phase – a death warrant has been signed setting an execution date of November 13, 2025, with only late-stage stay/clemency avenues remaining.
- Appeals posture / stay status: State and federal appeals and habeas proceedings are completed; prior stays were granted historically, but as of now no stay is in effect on the current warrant.
Bryan Jennings | Death Row Roll Call 2025
🕊️Victim
Rebecca Sue “Becky” Kunash (1972–1979) – abducted from her home while sleeping; sexually assaulted and killed by drowning in a Merritt Island canal; evidence of skull fracture consistent with being slammed head-first to the ground. Wikipedia
FAQ→
Q1: Why did this case take so long on appeal?
A: The case went through multiple retrials/resentencings and extensive state and federal habeas review. The Florida Supreme Court and even the U.S. Supreme Court issued remand orders before the death sentence was re-imposed and later upheld. FSU Law Library
Q2: What evidence tied Jennings to the crime?
A: A recorded confession deemed admissible, fingerprint evidence at the window, and witness/cellmate testimony; appellate opinions summarize the proof relied on by the jury and trial court. CC Frontend Template
Q3: Is the Nov 13, 2025 execution firm?
A: It’s the current warrant date, but capital cases often see eleventh-hour stays; filings seeking delay have been made citing counsel/representation issues. WUSF
Q4: Where can I read official case documents?
A: See the Florida Supreme Court docket and historical opinion PDFs, plus 11th Cir./Justia for federal habeas summaries. ACIS+2FSU Law Library+2
Bryan Jennings | Florida Death Row | Execution Nov. 13, 2025
👉The Story
The Nightlight and the Canal
The Bedroom Window
It began in the small hours, with a nightlight glowing in a little girl’s room and a bedroom window that shouldn’t have been touched. Rebecca “Becky” Kunash was asleep. Bryan Jennings was twenty, angry, and armed with the certainty that doors were just invitations with hinges. The prints at the casing would later speak, but not before the dark had time to carry her away.
The Abduction
The road to Merritt Island is quiet when it wants to be. He forced her into a car and out to the canal, past the hour where most crimes give up and go home. The place he chose had water that didn’t ask questions. What happened next would live in transcripts: rape, blunt-force trauma and the drowning of a child who never reached sunrise.
The Body Remembers
In the forensic lexicon there are phrases meant to be clinical – skull fracture, asphyxia by immersion – yet they never quite lose their temperature. The medical evidence drew a line from the assault to the water and left the rest to a jury that didn’t have much room for doubt.
The Tape and the Prints
Back in town, a taped confession became the fight of early hearings; a judge said it stayed in. Fingerprint examiners spoke about ridges and points at the window frame. A cellmate told a story of bragging in confinement – the kind of boasting that turns a rumor into an exhibit. Wikipedia
The Long Road of Paper
Trials bend; this one bent for years. Reversals and remands moved the case between courtrooms; resentencing restored the penalty; federal habeas failed. Lawyers changed; the calendar didn’t hurry; and an old 1989 warrant died the day before it was meant to be carried out.
The Warrant Returns
In October 2025, a new death warrant set the clock again- Nov 13, 2025 – as filings surfaced pressing for more time, more counsel, one more look. Florida’s timetable answered with its own certainty. Beyond the headlines sits a family that has been living in the long afterward since 1979.
Status I Paper Trail for Bryan Jennings
- Trial & Sentencing: Initial conviction Feb 1980; death sentence May 1980; subsequent reversals/resentencing; death re-imposed 1986. Wikipedia+1
- State Appeals: Florida Supreme Court opinions across 1984–1985 (remand) and later affirmances; historical 1989 stay on eve of scheduled electrocution. FSU Law Library+1
- Federal Habeas: 11th Cir./district-court denials summarized on Justia; relief denied. Justia Law
- Current Warrant: Signed Oct 2025; execution set Nov 13, 2025; stay filings pending at FSC. AP News+2ACIS+2
📚 Additional Resources
- CBS News Miami: Florida man convicted of raping, killing 6-year-old girl in 1979 to be executed Nov. 13 (warrant/date overview). CBS News
- WUSF / News Service of Florida: Execution delay sought for Florida inmate over lack of legal representation (stay/representation filing). WUSF
- Justia (11th Cir. summary): Bryan F. Jennings v. McDonough – federal habeas background. Justia Law
📚 Further Reading / Watching
- AP News: Florida sets execution date for man who raped and murdered 6-year-old in 1979 (warrant signed; case recap). AP News
- Florida Supreme Court filings (PDF): Historical summaries of facts & procedural posture. CC Frontend Template+1
- Florida Today (archival reporting): 1980–1989 trial/sentencing/stay coverage cited in case histories. Wikipedia
- WESH 2 / NBC Miami: Current stay/appeal coverage ahead of Nov 13. NBC 6 South Florida
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Related on WickedWe
- Samuel Lee Smithers – Florida Execution (2025) – post-conviction path and warrant window (Florida capital context).
- Norman Mearle Grim Jr. – Florida Execution (2025) – record-setting year context; warrant to completion.
👉 This page is part of the WickedWe True Crime Archive – a resource for researchers, students, and true crime enthusiasts seeking verified facts, case records, and deeper historical context. [Disclaimer→ WickedWe.com is an educational/entertainment column only. No graphic imagery. Victim-respect policy. Nothing herein is legal advice.]
BEYOND THE GAVEL | Bryan Jennings
Roll Card | Snapshot
- Status: Florida death row; execution scheduled for Thu, Nov 13, 2025 (6:00 p.m. ET) at Florida State Prison. CBS News
- Case Age: Offense in 1979; multiple resentencings; 1989 stay; warrant activity renewed in 2025. Wikipedia+1
- Current Filings: Stay/representation challenges pending at the Florida Supreme Court. WUSF+1
Docket Map – Condensed | Bryan Jennings
- 1979–1980: Arrest → conviction → death sentence. Wikipedia
- 1982–1986: Remand/retrial/resentencing → death re-imposed. FSU Law Library
- 1989: Warrant stayed by Florida Supreme Court (one day before set execution). Wikipedia
- 2000s: Federal habeas denied; relief exhausted. Justia Law
- Oct–Nov 2025: Warrant signed; execution Nov 13; stay motions pending. AP News+1
Case File Extras | What the Record Shows
- Method/scene: Home abduction, sexual assault, fatal drowning; corroborated by medical/forensic proof and post-offense statements. Wikipedia
- Proof highlights: Confession tape admitted; fingerprint match at the bedroom window; testimony underscored guilt beyond reasonable doubt. CC Frontend Template
Execution Window / Monitoring (Florida)
- Protocol: Lethal injection; date-certain Nov 13, 2025; stays possible pending high-court review. CBS News
Source Pack | Bryan Jennings
- CBS News Miami (Oct 13, 2025): Warrant/date coverage. CBS News
- WUSF / News Service of Florida (Oct 27, 2025): Stay/representation filing. WUSF
- AP News (Oct 12, 2025): Warrant announcement & case recap. AP News
- Florida Supreme Court PDFs: Case facts & procedural history. FSU Law Library+1
- Justia (11th Cir. habeas): Long-form federal posture. Justia Law
