Florida marked its 15th execution of the year on Tuesday, setting a new record under the leadership of Governor Ron DeSantis. The execution involved Norman Mearle Grim Jr., who was found guilty of the rape and murder of his neighbor over 20 years ago.
According to the Associated Press, a representative for Governor DeSantis confirmed that the 65-year-old Grim was declared dead at 6:14 p.m. following the administration of a three-drug lethal injection at Florida State Prison, located near Starke.
When asked if he wished to make a final statement before the injection, Grim simply responded, “No sir,” as reported by the spokesperson, Alex Lanfranconi.
Lanfranconi further stated that the execution proceeded without any complications.
Norman Mearle Grim Jr. was executed on October 28, 2025, marking the 15th execution in Florida under the current administration. (Florida Department of Corrections)
Grim received a death sentence after his conviction for the sexual assault and first-degree murder of Cynthia Campbell. Campbell was reported missing in July 1998, and her battered body was later discovered by a fisherman in the waters near the Pensacola Bay Bridge.
Prosecutors made the case that Campbell suffered multiple blunt-force injuries to her face and head, consistent with those of being struck by a hammer. She also had 11 stab wounds in the chest.
When an autopsy was conducted on Campbell, it was discovered that seven of the 11 stab wounds penetrated her heart. Physical evidence, including DNA, tied Grim to Campbell’s murder.
This photo shows a gurney used in giving lethal injections to convicted death row inmates. (Sue Ogrocki, File)
The U.S. Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976, and since then, the highest previous annual total of executions in Florida was set at eight in 2014.
This year, though, Florida has executed more people than any other state, followed by Texas and Alabama with five each.
Grim waived any appeal to his conviction earlier this month, despite being given a last chance to make an appeal to the Florida Supreme Court and U.S. Supreme Court.
Clouds hover over the entrance of the Florida State Prison in Starke, Fla., Aug. 3, 2023. (AP Photo/Curt Anderson, file)
When he woke up at 6 a.m. on Tuesday, Grim had fried pork chops and mashed potatoes with a chocolate milkshake, the Department of Corrections told The AP. The spokesperson said Grim did not have any visitors, nor did he meet with a spiritual advisor before the execution.
Two more executions are planned next month in Florida.
Bryan Fredrick Jennings, 66, is scheduled for the state’s 16th execution on Nov. 13. He was convicted of raping and killing a 6-year-old girl in 1979 after entering through a window and abducting her from her central Florida home.
Richard Barry Randolph, 63, is set for Florida’s 17th execution on Nov. 20. He was convicted of the 1988 rape and fatal beating of his former manager at a Florida convenience store.
Florida’s lethal injections are carried out with a sedative, a paralytic and a drug that stops the heart, according to the state Department of Corrections.
