Florida Man Scheduled for Execution

A man from Florida, David Pittman, who was found guilty of murdering his estranged wife’s sister and parents 35 years ago, is set to face execution next month. This could be the 12th execution in the state this year.

Pittman, now 63, is scheduled for execution on September 17, following a death warrant signed by Governor Ron DeSantis. He was sentenced to death in 1991 for three counts of first-degree murder related to the horrific events of the previous year.

Pittman had divorced his wife, Marie, in May 1990. The tragic incident unfolded when he, along with their young daughter, went to the home of Marie’s parents, Clarence and Barbara Knowles. There, he stabbed them both and later set their Polk County house on fire, even stealing a car belonging to Bonnie Knowles, which he subsequently burnt as well.

Eyewitnesses reportedly recognized Pittman as the man who fled from the burning vehicle, while prison informants claimed he had confessed to the brutal murders of his in-laws.

Meanwhile, the Florida Supreme Court is slated to hear an appeal against the execution, with the possibility of the U.S. Supreme Court also being involved. In a previous ruling in 2022, the Florida Supreme Court rejected Pittman’s argument that he was intellectually disabled, which he claimed made his death penalty unjust.

Should the execution proceed, Pittman would become the 12th individual executed in Florida this year, joining others like Kayle Bates and Curtis Windom, who also have execution dates set for this month.

In fact, Florida has led the nation in executions this year, having carried out nine since July. This surpasses the state’s previous record of eight executions, marked in 2014, since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976.