'She knew he was going to kill her': Florida killer to be executed 37 years after murder

Florida is set to execute a death row inmate for the "brutal and prolonged" rape and murder of a beloved convenience store manager who interrupted him during a robbery nearly 40 years ago.

Richard Barry Randolph, 63, is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection on Thursday, Nov. 20, for the 1988 murder of Minnie Ruth McCollum in the small Florida town of East Palatka. If the execution moves forward as expected, Randolph will become the 17th inmate executed in Florida this year − a record − and the 44th in the U.S., a number that hasn't been seen since 2010.

Retired prosecutor John Tanner, who tried Randolph back in 1989, told USA TODAY that the case stands out among the many he handled because of the prolonged brutality experienced by McCollum.

"She knew he was going to kill her," Tanner said this week. "He was totally off the rails and so vicious, there was no humanity left in him."

Here's what you need to know about the execution.