Florida has executed Norman Mearle Grim Jr., marking the state’s 15th death penalty case under Governor Ron DeSantis this year. This milestone surpasses all previous states in the number of executions in 2024. Grim, 65, was convicted of rape and murder in the 1998 death of his neighbor, Cynthia Campbell, whose battered body was found in the water near the Pensacola Bay Bridge. The execution followed a swift judicial process, with Grim waiving his right to appeal and declining last-minute spiritual counsel.
The Florida Department of Corrections confirmed that Grim was pronounced dead at 6:14 p.m. after receiving a three-drug injection at the Florida State Prison near Starke. A spokesperson for DeSantis, Alex Lanfranconi, noted that Grim was asked if he had a final statement before receiving the injection, and he replied, “No sir.” The spokesperson also stated there were no complications during the execution. Grim had fried pork chops and mashed potatoes with a chocolate milkshake for dinner the day before the execution, as reported by the Department of Corrections.
Prosecutors made the case that Campbell suffered multiple blunt-force injuries to her face and head, consistent with those of being struck by a hammer. She also had 11 stab wounds in the chest. An autopsy revealed that seven of the 11 stab wounds penetrated her heart. Physical evidence, including DNA, tied Grim to Campbell’s murder. Grim’s case was a significant moment in the Florida’s death penalty history, which saw its highest annual total of executions in 2024.
Previously, the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976, and the highest previous annual total of executions in Florida was set at eight in 2014. This year, Florida has executed more people than any other state, followed by Texas and Alabama with five each. Grim waived any appeal to his conviction earlier this month, despite being given a last chance to make an appeal to the Florida Supreme Court and U.S. Supreme Court.
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. The Associated Press contributed to this report.