A Florida man, David Pittman, set to be executed on September 17, is set to be the 12th person put to death in Florida this year. This will surpass the previous record for executions in a single year since the death penalty was restored in 1976. The execution is scheduled under a death warrant signed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican.
Pittman was found guilty of the murders of his estranged wife’s sister and parents, along with arson and grand theft, in 1991. The crimes occurred in May 1990 when he, during a divorce, went to the home of his wife’s parents, Clarence and Barbara Knowles, and stabbed them and their daughter, Bonnie, before setting the house on fire. He then stole the family’s car and set it ablaze. A witness identified Pittman as the individual fleeing from the burning car, and a jailhouse informant corroborated his confession to the killings.
The Florida Supreme Court has denied Pittman’s appeal regarding his intellectual disability and the legality of his death sentence, with previous rulings dismissing his claims. The U.S. Supreme Court is also set to hear an appeal to block his execution. Prior to the current year, Florida’s previous record for executions since the reinstatement of the death penalty was eight in 2014.