Florida is set to carry out its 11th execution of 2025, the highest number in the state’s history since capital punishment was reinstated in the U.S. Curtis Windom, 59, is scheduled to die by lethal injection at Florida State Prison in Starke. His case marks the 30th execution nationwide this year, underscoring Florida’s renewed pace of death warrants under Governor Ron DeSantis. A twelfth execution is already scheduled for September.
The Murders of 1992
Windom’s crimes date back to November 7, 1992, when he killed three people in the Orlando area. Prosecutors said the violence began after Windom learned that Johnnie Lee, a man he accused of owing him $2,000, had won money at a dog track. Windom purchased a revolver and shot Lee multiple times, first from his car and then at close range. He then fatally shot his girlfriend, Valerie Davis, in front of a witness before killing her mother, Mary Lubin, as she drove near the apartment. Another man was wounded in the rampage.
Family Divided by the Sentence
Among those most affected is Windom’s daughter, Curtisia, who has publicly opposed the execution despite losing her mother and grandmother to her father’s violence. She described years of trauma but also said that forgiveness had been part of her healing. “If we could forgive him, I don’t see why people on the street who haven’t been through our pain have a right to say he should die,” she said, urging clemency for her father.
Years of Legal Battles
Windom’s case has wound through the courts for decades, with repeated appeals focusing on mental health evidence and claims of poor legal representation. His attorneys argued that his mental illness was never adequately presented at trial. The Florida Supreme Court rejected the claims, saying prosecutors would have countered with evidence that Windom was a drug dealer and that both women he killed were police informants. On Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court denied his final appeal.
Florida’s Place in Death Penalty History
Since 1976, Florida has executed more inmates than nearly any other state, but this year’s total has surpassed all prior records. The previous high was eight executions in 2014. Lethal injections in the state involve a three-drug sequence that sedates, paralyzes, and ultimately stops the heart. For many Floridians, Windom’s execution represents justice for brutal crimes committed decades ago. For others, including his family, it highlights the enduring moral and emotional complexity of capital punishment.
