(CNN) -- A Florida death-row inmate convicted of abducting and murdering 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford in 2005 has died, prison officials said Wednesday. 

John Couey had been sentenced to death for killing 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford in Florida in 2005. 

John Evander Couey, 51, died at 11:15 a.m. ET of natural causes, a Florida Department of Corrections spokeswoman told CNN. He had been taken to a Jacksonville, Florida, hospital from Florida State Prison in Starke, Florida. 

Because of privacy laws, no further information could be released by the Department of Corrections. 

A source close to the case told CNN that Couey's death was not unexpected and he had been ill for some time. 

"I never dreamed it would happen like this," Jessica's father, Mark Lunsford, told CNN. He said he never thought he would live long enough to see Couey put to death because of the lengthy appeals process. 

He said he was sad when he heard the news of Couey's death. "To me, death is sad," he said. "But her death, Jessie's death, has been redeemed ... I'm relieved. I'm glad it's over with." 

Couey was sentenced to die in August 2007 for abducting and raping Lunsford, then killing her by burying her alive. The girl was snatched from her bed in her family's Homosassa, Florida, home the evening of February 23, 2005, by Couey, a registered sex offender. Her body was found three weeks later, buried at the home of Couey's half-sister, who lived within sight of the Lunsford home. 

The girl's body was wrapped in plastic garbage bags, and her hands were bound with speaker wire. She was clutching a stuffed dolphin -- a toy won for her at a state fair by her father, and which Couey allowed her to bring with her when she was abducted.  QUESTIONS:

Q1:
1. Why was no information disclosed by the department of correction?
2. Why couldn’t the department of correction divulge information?
3. 
Q2:
1. What year was Couey sentenced?
2. What date was Couey’s sentence pronounced?
3. 
Q3:
1. Had Couey been sick for a long period of time?
2. Had Couey’s sickness lasted a long time?
3. 
Q4:
1. Where did Jessica get her stuffed dolphin from?
2. Jessica got her stuffed toy from which place?
3. 
Q5:
1. Which person won the stuffed dolphin for Jessica?
2. Who obtained the dolphin for Jessica?
3. 
Q6:
1. What was Jessica’s father called?
2. What name did Jessica’s father go by?
3. 
Q7:
1. What was Courey’s second name?
2. Courey’s middle name was given as what?
3. 
Q8:
1. Which hospital was Couey taken to?
2. in which city and state was the hospital that Couey was taken to?
3. 
Q9:
1. The state prison was located in which town?
2. Where was the Florida state prison?
3. 
Q10:
1. How far apart was Jessica’s home from the home of Courey’s half sister?
2. 
3. 
