David Pittman Executed in Florida
David Pittman, a man on death row, maintained his innocence until his execution on Wednesday afternoon, marking him as Florida’s 12th execution this year.
The 63-year-old was executed via lethal injection without any complications at a Florida prison near Stark, after spending an astonishing 34 years waiting for this moment. In his final hours, he was visited by an unidentified person. His last meal featured Southern Comfort classics, which included fried chicken, steak, and biscuits.
In his last comments, Pittman reiterated his claim of being wrongfully convicted. He stated, “I know you guys came to see an innocent man killed by Florida being killed. I’m innocent. I didn’t kill anyone. That’s all.”
Just a day prior to his execution, a request to the U.S. Supreme Court for a stay of execution was denied. Pittman had been convicted back in 1991 for the murder of his wife’s relatives during a contentious divorce in May 1990. The crimes included stabbing his parents and attacking his 21-year-old daughter.
After the murders, he allegedly set the house on fire and was later seen fleeing the scene. Witnesses identified him, and prison informants testified that he had confessed to the killings. As a result, he received three counts of first-degree murder, along with charges of arson and grand theft, leading to a death penalty sentence determined by a 9-3 vote.
His appeals focused on alleged errors in his trial, including the neglect of his mental disabilities, as he had an IQ in the 70s. His lawyers contended that executing him would violate constitutional protections for individuals with serious mental issues.
The state, however, argued that it was too late for Pittman to claim incompetence so many years after his trial. The state’s attorney argued that at the time of the murders, he did not qualify as intellectually disabled.
Florida employs lethal injection using a combination of sedatives, paralytics, and drugs that induce cardiac arrest, according to the state’s Department of Corrections. Due to dwindling supplies of these drugs, some states are considering alternative execution methods, like nitrogen hypoxia, which involves asphyxiating inmates with pure nitrogen gas.
This method is not yet approved in Florida, although it is allowed in states such as Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Recently, another man, Curtis Wyndham, was executed in Florida for a triple murder he committed in 1992. Additionally, Victor Jones is set to be executed on September 30 for killing a couple during an armed robbery in 1990.
