Florida Executes 15th Inmate in 2023, Setting State Record

Florida executed Norman Mearle Grim Jr., marking the state's 15th execution in 2025, setting a new record under Governor Ron DeSantis. Grim was convicted of the 1998 rape and murder of his neighbor Cynthia Campbell, who suffered multiple blunt-force injuries and stab wounds, seven of which penetrated her heart. Grim waived all appeals before his execution by lethal injection at Florida State Prison near Starke and declined to make a final statement. Florida has surpassed its previous highest annual executions of eight in 2014, positioning it as the state with the most executions this year, ahead of Texas and Alabama. Grim's case involved significant physical evidence, including DNA, linking him to the crime, and after the murder, he fled the state but was apprehended following a manhunt. The execution proceeded without complications, underscoring Florida's aggressive use of capital punishment in recent years.