In a case that has haunted Florida for over three decades, David Joseph Pittman was executed on September 17, 2025, after spending 34 years on death row. At 63, he faced lethal injection for the brutal murders of his estranged wife’s family during a bitter divorce, a crime described by prosecutors as one that “wiped out an entire family.”
The events that led to this fateful day began on May 15, 1990, in the small town of Mulberry, Florida. Clarence Knowles, 60, and his wife Barbara, 50, were at home with their daughter Bonnie, 20, when Pittman, who was 28 at the time, crept into their lives with malicious intent. Sources indicate that Pittman had been struggling with the divorce from their other daughter, Marie, and had made threats against the family.
That night, he cut the phone line to the Knowles’ home, ensuring that no help could reach them. What followed was a horrific scene: Bonnie was stabbed seven times and had her throat cut, while both her parents were also brutally murdered. After the violence, Pittman set the house ablaze and stole Bonnie’s car, which he later burned to destroy evidence. Sheriff Grady Judd, who investigated the case, remarked that Pittman had made the chilling decision to eliminate the entire family.
Pittman was arrested shortly after the murders, with overwhelming evidence against him, including a jailhouse informant who claimed Pittman confessed to the killings. Despite maintaining his innocence for 35 years, he was convicted of three counts of first-degree murder, arson, and grand theft in a trial that concluded in 1991. The jury recommended the death penalty, citing the heinous nature of the crimes and Pittman’s prior conviction for aggravated assault.
Over the years, Pittman’s legal team filed numerous appeals, arguing issues such as ineffective counsel and due process violations. In 2015, they introduced a new argument claiming that Pittman was intellectually disabled, which, according to the Eighth Amendment, would render him ineligible for execution. However, the state countered that he had waited too long to raise this claim, leading to a series of legal battles that culminated in the Florida Supreme Court denying his final appeal just a day before his execution.
As the execution date approached, protests erupted outside Florida State Prison, with activists calling for intervention from Governor Ron DeSantis, who had signed more death warrants in 2025 than any of his predecessors. The atmosphere was tense, with supporters and opponents of the death penalty gathering to voice their opinions.
On the day of the execution, witnesses, including Sheriff Judd, gathered to witness Pittman’s final moments. He was offered a last meal of steak, chicken, and biscuits before being led to the execution chamber. When given the chance to speak, Pittman declared, “I know you all came to watch an innocent man be murdered by the state of Florida. I am innocent. I didn’t 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁 anybody. That’s it.” These words echoed in the room as he took his last breaths, ultimately pronounced dead at 6:12 PM.
Pittman’s execution was part of a larger trend in Florida, which had seen a significant increase in executions that year. As the state grapples with its approach to capital punishment, the case of David Joseph Pittman raises profound questions about justice, morality, and the complexities of the legal system.
What do you think about the implications of executing someone when there are doubts about their eligibility?