A Florida death row inmate convicted of murdering Tressa Pettibone during a home invasion in 1989 was executed on Tuesday.
Mark Allen Geralds, 58, was given a three-drug injection at the Florida State Prison, northwest of Starke, on Tuesday, and was pronounced dead at 6.15 p.m., The Associated Press said.
In his final remarks, Geralds addressed someone by name, saying: “I’m sorry that I missed you… I love you every day.” The name of the individual was inaudible.
Newsweek contacted the Florida Department of Corrections (FDC) for comment by email outside of regular working hours.
Why It Matters
Geralds’ execution was the 18th in Florida this year, extending the state’s record for highest number of executions carried out in a single year. Another execution is set to take place next week.
There have been a total of 45 executions carried out across the US so far in 2025, marking a substantial increase on recent years. In 2024, a total of 25 executions were carried out in nine states, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.
Florida’s increasing use of the death penalty remains a contentious issue, with debates persisting over the fairness of legal processes, the reliability of forensic evidence, and the moral questions surrounding capital punishment.
What To Know
After Geralds was administered the drugs on Tuesday, he took around 12 deep breaths as his body twitched, the AP said. His body then became still after around three or four minutes.
The FDC’s spokesperson Jordan Kirkland said eight people connected with the Pettibones were present at the prison on Tuesday, but it was not clear how many of them witnessed the execution, according to AP.
Geralds was convicted for the 1989 murder of Tressa Pettibone in her home in Panama City. Court documents reveal that Pettibone’s eight-year-old son discovered her body the same day.
Subsequent investigations linked the crime to Geralds, who had previously worked as a carpenter at the Pettibone residence. Investigators found jewelry with traces of Pettibone’s blood that Geralds had pawned, records showed.
Geralds was originally sentenced to death in 1990, but the Florida Supreme Court later vacated the sentence. The death sentence was later reinstated in 1992.
A death warrant was signed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in November. Geralds later told a judge that he did not want to lodge any further appeals.
What People Are Saying
A victim advocate from Florida’s attorney’s office read a statement from the Pettibone family, saying that the family had “endured so much as this long legal journey has seemed unending at times.”
“Tomorrow, when we wake up, it will be the first time in nearly 37 years that we don’t have to worry about another appeal being filed or another law changing that could potentially thwart the justice we have been fighting so hard for for so long,” the statement read, according to AP.
The family described Pettibone as a “a faithful wife, loving mother, daughter, sister, aunt and dedicated friend.”
What Happens Next
Florida is scheduled to carry out the execution of Frank Athen Walls on December 18. Walls was convicted of fatally shooting two people during a burglary in 1987.
