A man who had previously denied the charges of raping and murdering his neighbor 27 years ago was executed today on death row. Norman Mearle Grim Jr, aged 65, was convicted of the sexual assault and first-degree murder of Cynthia Campbell, despite maintaining his innocence during the court proceedings. He received a lethal three-drug injection in Florida, marking the state’s 15th execution for the year.
When asked if he wanted to make a final statement, Grim replied, “No sir.” Following this, he was administered the injection, leading to visible physical reactions before being pronounced dead, almost three decades after Campbell’s tragic demise.
After Campbell went missing in 1998, her body was discovered in the waters near the Pensacola Bay Bridge in Florida with severe injuries. Prosecutors revealed that she had suffered multiple blunt-force injuries to her face and head, along with 11 stab wounds to her chest. Grim’s connection to the crime was established through DNA evidence found at the scene.
Despite Grim’s denial of the charges, he was eventually found guilty after a trial in 2000 and sentenced to death. This sentence was carried out today, 27 years after the crime occurred.
Since the reinstatement of the death penalty by the US Supreme Court in 1976, Florida has recorded its highest annual execution count this year, surpassing previous years. Following Florida, Texas and Alabama have executed five individuals each in the current year.
Once a death warrant is issued and an execution date is set, inmates can make final appeals to the Florida Supreme Court and the US Supreme Court. Grim did not receive visitors or meet with a spiritual adviser on his last day.
Forty individuals have been executed through court orders in the US this year, with at least 18 more scheduled for execution by the end of this year and into the next. Florida leads in executions this year, with Texas and Alabama following closely behind.
Two more executions are planned in Florida next month. Bryan Fredrick Jennings, aged 66, is set for execution on November 13 for the rape and murder of a six-year-old girl in 1979.
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