STARKE, Fla. (AP) — A Florida man convicted of raping and killing his neighbor decades ago was put to death Tuesday evening in a record 15th execution in Florida this year.
Norman Mearle Grim Jr. was pronounced
dead at 6:14 p.m. following a three-drug injection at Florida State Prison near Starke, a spokesman for Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis said.
When asked if he had a final statement just before the drugs began flowing, Grim replied, “No sir,” according to DeSantis' spokesman Alex Lanfranconi. The spokesman said there were no complications during the execution.
Grim, 65, was convicted of sexual battery and first-degree murder in the death of Cynthia Campbell. The victim was reported missing in July 1998, and her battered body was found in waters near the Pensacola Bay Bridge by a fisherman.
Prosecutors said Campbell had suffered multiple blunt-force injuries to her face and head that were consistent with being struck by a hammer, as well has 11 stab wounds in the chest. An autopsy revealed seven of the stab wounds penetrated her heart. Physical evidence including DNA tied Grim to her killing.
Since the U.S. Supreme Court restored the death penalty in 1976, the highest previous annual total of Florida executions was eight in 2014. Florida has executed more people than any other state this year, followed by Texas and Alabama with five each.
After a death warrant is signed and an execution date is set, inmates have a last chance to make appeals to the Florida Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court. But earlier this month, Grim waived any appeals.
On Tuesday, Grim awoke at 6 a.m. and later had a meal of fried pork chops and mashed potatoes with a chocolate milkshake, according to Department of Corrections spokesman Ted Veerman. The spokesman said Grim had no visitors and did not meet with a spiritual adviser as the execution hour loomed.
A total of 40 men have died by court-ordered execution so far this year in the U.S., and at least 18 other people are scheduled to be put to death during the remainder of 2025 and next year.
Since the U.S. Supreme Court restored the death penalty in 1976, the highest previous annual total of Florida executions was eight in 2014. Florida has executed more people than any other state this year, followed by Texas and Alabama with five each. Two more executions are planned for next month in Florida under death warrants signed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Two more executions are planned next month in Florida.
Bryan Fredrick Jennings, 66, is scheduled for the state's 16th execution on Nov. 13. He was convicted of raping and killing a 6-year-old girl in 1979 after entering through a window and abducting her from her central Florida home.
Richard Barry Randolph, 63, is set for Florida’s 17th execution on Nov. 20. He was convicted of the 1988 rape and fatal beating of his former manager at a Florida convenience store.
Florida's lethal injections are carried out with a sedative, a paralytic and a drug that stops the heart, according to the state Department of Corrections.
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