David Pittman, convicted of a brutal 1990 triple homicide, is set to be executed by lethal injection at 6 p.m. this evening, concluding a legal battle that has spanned over three decades.
The 35-year legal saga of David Joseph Pittman is scheduled to end this evening as he faces execution by lethal injection at Florida State Prison. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd is en route to Raiford, where he will witness the execution of the man convicted of the 1990 murders of Clarence and Barbara Knowles and their daughter, Bonnie.
Pittman, 54, was found guilty of the brutal murders of his estranged wife’s family members in what was described by court records as a fit of rage.
He was convicted in 1991 for killing the three family members, setting their home on fire, and then stealing and burning their car to destroy evidence.
The jury recommended the death penalty in a 9-3 vote, a decision upheld by the trial court due to several aggravating factors, including a prior conviction for aggravated assault and the heinous nature of the crimes.
A Long Road to the Death Chamber
Since his conviction, Pittman’s legal team has filed numerous appeals in both state and federal courts. His attorneys have argued claims ranging from ineffective assistance of counsel to due process violations, but all have been denied.
The Florida Supreme Court denied a last-ditch appeal from Pittman’s lawyers, who argued he is intellectually disabled and therefore ineligible for the death penalty.
The state’s legal team, however, has maintained that the claim is both untimely and without merit. The execution warrant, signed by Governor Ron DeSantis on August 15, 2025, sets the execution for 6 p.m. this evening, September 17, 2025.
Sheriff Judd’s presence at the execution underscores the finality of the legal process for a crime that has haunted the Polk County community for decades.
READ: Florida Supreme Court To Re-Examine Death Penalty Case Amid Childhood Abuse At State-Run School
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