Tyler Watkins
•9/10/2026
Daniel Conahan Jr., a 72-year-old convicted murderer known as the "Hog Trail Killer," is scheduled to be executed today at Florida State Prison for the 1996 killing of Richard Montgomery in Charlotte County. Conahan was convicted of first-degree premeditated murder and kidnapping, with the jury unanimously recommending a death sentence. "It's been kind of crazy to think that it's been that long, and that man's had this opportunity, even though he's been locked up, to still have his life when he cut Richard so short, you know, you never know what someone could have been like, and what they would have become, you know. So it's been crazy that it's been this long, and I hope that he'll rest easy after this is all said and done," a friend of Montgomery said. Conahan was investigated but not charged in the deaths of five other men found in the woods from North Port to Fort Myers between 1993 and 1996. Gulf Coast News anchor Lindsey Burrell will be at Florida State Prison today for the execution, with live coverage starting at 3 p.m. Florida has executed 14 inmates this year, and Conahan would be the 15th. DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment, and original programming on your TV.
