Murder

David Joseph execution-of-polk-county-triple-murderer-david-pittman/” title=”Sheriff Grady Judd To Witness … Of … Triple … – Tampa”>Pittman Executed in Florida: A 35-Year Case Closes with⁤ Claims of innocence

Starke, FL – David Joseph Pittman, convicted of the brutal 1990 murders of ⁣his estranged⁣ wife’s family in Mulberry, Florida, was ‍executed by lethal injection at 6:00 PM‌ on September 17th at‌ Florida State Prison. The⁣ execution marks the⁣ state’s⁤ 12th of the year, a record number.

Pittman, 63, was found​ guilty ‌in April 1991 of three counts of first-degree‌ murder for⁢ the ⁣deaths of Clarence and Barbara Knowles, and their daughter, Bonnie. The⁤ crimes were especially heinous: Pittman ⁣stabbed the​ victims, slit Bonnie Knowles’ throat,⁤ then set the family home ablaze, attempting to destroy evidence and prevent the ⁣victims ​from calling for help by cutting the telephone lines. He subsequently stole their daughter’s car,abandoning and ‍burning it⁣ in a nearby ditch.

Polk County​ Sheriff Grady Judd,⁣ a first responder on the scene at the time ​as a patrol division major, described the scene⁤ as particularly disturbing. “He purchased gasoline to start the fire,” Judd stated,highlighting the premeditation involved in the killings.

The ⁢motive behind the murders stemmed from a complex web of personal grievances. Court records reveal Pittman’s wife had served him with divorce papers while he was already incarcerated on an unrelated charge. Further fueling his rage was Bonnie ​Knowles’ 1989 allegation that Pittman had raped her⁣ – a case ultimately dropped due to a delay in filing the charges.

(See video​ above: Reaction to David Joseph ‍Pittman’s execution outside the prison)

Pittman was pronounced ⁣dead at 6:12 p.m., according to the Florida Department of Corrections. In his ⁢final moments, he maintained ⁢his ⁢innocence, stating, “I know‌ you all came to⁢ watch an innocent man be murdered by the State of ​Florida. I ​am innocent. I didn’t kill anybody. that’s it,” as ⁣reported by⁤ WFLA TV News.

(Image: David Joseph Pittman)

The case, spanning⁣ 35 years from the crime to the‌ execution, underscores the lengthy​ and complex nature of capital punishment cases. The execution of David⁣ Joseph Pittman brings a somber⁣ close to a decades-old⁢ tragedy for the Knowles family and raises continued debate surrounding the death penalty and the‌ possibility of wrongful convictions.

Keywords: ​ David Joseph Pittman, execution, Florida, murder, Polk County, death ‌penalty, lethal injection, crime, Florida State Prison, Sheriff Grady Judd, wrongful conviction.

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