Florida Governor Authorises December Execution in 1989 Murder Case
Republican Governor Ron DeSantis has signed a death warrant for Mark Allen Geralds, a 58-year-old man convicted of a brutal 1989 home invasion murder. Geralds is scheduled to die by lethal injection on 9 December at Florida State Prison.
Record-Breaking Pace of Executions Under DeSantis
This execution marks a significant milestone in Florida's modern history. Governor DeSantis is now overseeing more executions in a single year than any other Florida governor since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976.
Geralds will be the 18th person executed in Florida in 2025, shattering the previous record of eight executions set in 2014. The signing of this death warrant comes just a week before the scheduled 13 November execution of Bryan Fredrick Jennings, with another, Richard Barry Randolph, set to die on 20 November.
The 1989 Home Invasion and Murder
The case dates back to February 1989, when Mark Allen Geralds was convicted of the murder of Tressa Pettibone during a home invasion robbery in Panama City. Court records reveal a harrowing scene where Pettibone's 8-year-old son discovered his mother beaten and stabbed to death on their kitchen floor.
Geralds, who had previously done remodeling work at the home, was familiar with the family's routine. He knew when the children left for school and that Pettibone's husband was out of town for work. The evidence against him was substantial.
Investigators found that Geralds had pawned jewellery with traces of Tressa Pettibone's blood on it. Furthermore, plastic ties used to bind the victim matched those discovered in Geralds' car.
Legal Proceedings and National Context
Originally sentenced to death in 1990 for murder, armed robbery, burglary, and grand theft auto, Geralds had his sentence vacated by the Florida Supreme Court, though his conviction was affirmed. He was resentenced to death in 1993.
His attorneys are expected to file appeals to both the Florida Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court in a bid to halt the execution. This case contributes to a national tally where 41 people have been executed in the U.S. in 2025, with Florida leading due to the flurry of death warrants signed by Governor DeSantis.
The state's most recent execution was carried out on 28 October, when Norman Mearle Grim Jr., convicted of raping and killing his neighbour, was put to death by lethal injection.
