Exonerated inmates urge Byron Donalds to halt Florida executions

Willie Seth Crain Jr. faces December 10 execution date

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed an execution order for 80-year-old Willie Seth Crain Jr..

Crain was convicted of the 1998 kidnapping and murder of seven-year-old Amanda Victoria Brown.

Activists and spiritual advisors request six-month moratorium

Hood also requested an independent investigation into the state's execution procedures. The increase in executions has drawn criticism from anti-death penalty organizations and individuals who were previously sentenced to death and later exonerated.

Governor DeSantis accelerates executions before January 2027 departure

Governor Ron DeSantis has increased the pace of executions during his final two years in office. He has authorized over 30 executions in this period, compared to nine during his first six years as governor.

DeSantis defended the increased frequency by arguing that victims' families have waited decades for court-ordered sentences to be fulfilled. He will conclude his second consecutive term and vacate the office in January 2027.

Byron Donalds stated in March that if elected governor, he would ensure violent offenders face swift judicial consequences for their actions.

Joaquín José Martínez and Herman Lindsey share death row history

Joaquín José Martínez was convicted of murder and sentenced to death in 1997. He was later exonerated in 2001.

Lindsey is the executive director of Witness to Innocence and on the board of directors for Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. He previously worked as an ambassador for Represent Justice.

Florida reaches record execution levels in 2026

Florida has carried out 23 executions over the last year, according to EWTN News and the Death Penalty Information Center. The state recorded 19 executions in 2025 and has matched that total for the current year as of the November 5, 2026, execution of Jesse Guardado.

Upcoming scheduled executions include Thomas Mitchell Overton on November 19, 2026, and Ricardo González on December 1, 2026. If scheduled execution dates are met, Willie Seth Crain Jr. would be the 22nd person executed in Florida this year.

This would mark an unprecedented number of executions in the state's modern era.

Willie Seth Crain Jr. maintains innocence in 1998 murder case

Brown disappeared in September 1998 in Hillsborough County, and her body was never recovered.

The prosecution’s case relied on biological evidence, including blood traces found in his bathroom and on his underwear. Prosecutors also presented testimony regarding his history of sexual offenses against minors. Crain was convicted of sexual assault in 1985 and sentenced to 20 years in prison, but he was released on parole in 1997.

The Florida Supreme Court upheld Crain’s convictions and sentences in 2004. The court rejected his appeals, which challenged the sufficiency of evidence regarding premeditation and the constitutionality of the death penalty.

Martínez reflects on changing public discourse regarding capital punishment

Joaquín José Martínez said public discourse regarding capital punishment has shifted significantly. Martínez said, "We didn’t have anyone come out [when I was a child] to teach us and speak to us about how horrible the death penalty was".

Martínez said he is overwhelmed by the current change in discourse. He noted that people often assume exonerated inmates were simply lucky rather than acknowledging a failing system. Regarding his efforts to change the system, Martínez said, "One step at a time".

Catholic chaplains provide support to death row families

Dale Recinella is a Catholic Correctional Chaplain for Florida’s death row and solitary confinement populations on behalf of the state’s Catholic bishops. Susan Recinella, is a psychologist who provides ministry to the families of murder victims and executed prisoners.