Florida executed David Pittman, 63, on Wednesday evening, marking the state's record 12th execution in 2025. Pittman was convicted in 1991 for the murders of his estranged wife's sister and parents, and for setting their house on fire. He was pronounced dead at 6:12pm local time following a lethal injection at Florida State Prison near Starke.
Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican, signed the death warrant. A spokesperson said the execution proceeded without complications. Pittman's final words were: 'I know you all came to watch an innocent man be murdered by the state of Florida. I am innocent. I didn’t kill anybody. That’s it.' His last appeal was rejected by the US Supreme Court on Tuesday.
Pittman was sentenced to death in 1991 on three counts of first-degree murder, as well as arson and grand theft. The murders occurred in May 1990 amid a contentious divorce. Trial testimony showed Pittman cut a phone line at the home of his wife's parents, Clarence and Barbara Knowles, then stabbed them and their other daughter, Bonnie Knowles, to death. He set the house on fire and stole Bonnie's car, which he also burned.
During his trial, a witness identified Pittman fleeing the burning car, and a jailhouse informant testified that Pittman admitted to the killings. Jurors recommended the death penalty by a 9-3 vote. In recent appeals, Pittman's lawyers argued he had intellectual disabilities, including an IQ in the low 70s, which would make his execution unconstitutional. State lawyers countered that the claim was meritless and too late, and the Florida Supreme Court ruled in 2020 that such claims cannot be applied retroactively.
Two more executions are scheduled in Florida this year: Victor Tony Jones on 30 September and Samuel Lee Smithers on 14 October. Nationwide, 30 people have been executed in the US in 2025, with Florida leading due to Governor DeSantis's record number of death warrants.
