Florida Conducts 18th Execution in 2025

On Tuesday evening, a man convicted of a decades-old murder was executed by the state of Florida, marking the 18th execution carried out this year.

The 58-year-old was executed via lethal injection at 6:15 p.m. for the 1989 killing of Tressa Pettibone, a crime involving a violent home robbery. Initially, his death sentence was overturned, but his conviction was maintained, and he was resentenced to death in 1992.

When asked for a final statement, Geralds addressed someone unidentifiable, expressing regret for missing them and affirming daily affection. Once the process began, Geralds exhibited significant physical reactions before becoming motionless within minutes.

Florida Hits Record Number of Executions in 2025

This execution sets a new record for Florida, with a 19th execution already scheduled for the following week. The murder case involved the tragic discovery of Tressa Pettibone by her young son, finding her violently murdered in their Panama City residence.

Prior interactions had occurred between Geralds, Pettibone, and her children at a shopping mall, where he learned crucial details about the family's schedule.

Evidence linked Geralds to the crime, including jewelry with Pettibone's blood that he had pawned, and plastic ties similar to those found in his possession.

Following the signing of his death warrant last month, Geralds opted to forego further legal appeals, a decision affirmed by a judge.

U.S. Executions in 2025 Reach Significant Numbers

So far in 2025, court-mandated executions have totaled 45 across the United States. Additional executions remain scheduled through the year's end.

Florida leads the nation this year in the number of executions, previously having its highest annual total of eight in 2014, following the reinstatement of the death penalty in 1976.

The next scheduled execution involves Frank Athen Walls, convicted of a series of murders during a home invasion, bringing Florida's count to 19 this year.

The state's protocol for lethal injection includes a combination of a sedative, a paralytic agent, and a drug to stop the heart, under the supervision of the Department of Corrections.