Overview
- Pittman, 63, was pronounced dead at 6:12 p.m. at Florida State Prison in Raiford after more than three decades on death row.
- He was convicted of the 1990 killings of Bonnie Knowles and her parents, Clarence and Barbara Knowles, in Polk County.
- The Florida Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court denied last‑minute appeals that argued he was ineligible for execution due to intellectual disability.
- His execution raised Florida’s 2025 tally to 12, surpassing the state’s post‑1976 annual high of eight, as the U.S. total reached at least 31 using lethal injection, nitrogen hypoxia and firing squad.
- Governor Ron DeSantis has authorized 14 executions this year, with Victor Tony Jones scheduled for September 30 and Samuel Smithers for October 14, as rights groups warn the rise reflects tougher state policies.