Less than one week ago, Florida executed Anthony Wainwright. In just one week from tomorrow, on June 24 at 6 pm, Florida plans to execute Tommy Gudinas. And last Friday, Governor DeSantis signed a death warrant for Michael Bell—his execution is scheduled for July 15 at 6 pm.
We are executing people at a faster rate than Florida has ever seen before. If Tommy’s execution proceeds, it will be the seventh to take place in Florida this year. It will also be the most executions in a year that Governor DeSantis has authorized, beating the six in 2023. And if Michael’s execution proceeds, it will be the eighth this year. Florida has only had eight executions in one year two times: under Gov. Graham in 1984 and by Gov. Scott in 2014.
Now, more than ever, we need you. We need your voice. We need your strength. We need your courage. Here is what you need to know and how you can act NOW:
A Death Sentence for a Child Who Was Never Safe
Tommy was born on an Army base in Washington and experienced medical complications from day one. His mother suffered seizures and toxemia during his delivery. He was born with fluid on his brain, requiring medical intervention shortly after birth. Before his first birthday, he had stopped breathing six times and was hospitalized repeatedly.
Throughout his childhood, Tommy endured profound physical, sexual, and emotional abuse at the hands of nearly every adult around him—his father, mother, stepfather, and others. He was diagnosed with multiple psychiatric and developmental issues at a young age, labeled a “sexually disturbed child”, and was shuffled through 105 different institutional placements. The long-term psychiatric treatment so many professionals said he desperately needed was never provided.
He was just 20 years old when he was arrested for the murder of Michelle McGrath. His trial was riddled with failures: his jury never heard evidence about his profound neurological impairments or developmental trauma and critical mitigating evidence was withheld.
Tommy suffers from frontal lobe dysfunction, fixed delusions, and severely impaired executive functioning—all of which offer support for a life sentence and raise serious concerns about his current mental state. It begs the question—should we really be killing someone so ill? Especially when they can continue to be safely housed for the remainder of their natural life.
Please sign and share his petition now. And then tell Governor DeSantis, who has the sole authority to stop this execution, to stop the unnecessary execution of Tommy Gudinas. Once you’ve sent a message, call his office at 850.717.9210.
Another Missed Court Deadline and a Trial Marred by Racial Bias
Michael Bell is scheduled to be executed on Tuesday, July 15 at 6 pm. Michael was convicted of the retaliatory murders of Jimmy West and Tamecka Smith. He has been on death row since 1995.
In June 1993, Theodore Wright killed Michael’s brother Lamar Bell. That killing was ruled to be justifiable homicide. During the five months following his brother’s death, the grief-stricken 23 year old Michael remained desperate in his desire for justice. He did not have a stable upbringing or adequate support to cope. So instead, on December 8, 1993, Michael saw Mr. Wright’s car, not knowing that Mr. Wright had sold the car to his half-brother Jimmy West. Overcome with emotion, Michael ultimately opened fire on both Mr. West and his companion Ms. Smith, killing them while they were leaving a Jacksonville nightclub.
In trying to secure a conviction and death sentence, Michael’s prosecutor repeatedly used racially tinged language, telling the jury multiple times that Michael lived by “the law of the jungle” as opposed to “civilized law.” Instead of objecting to this blatantly improper characterization, Michael’s own lawyer agreed—telling the mostly white jury that Michael “lived in a different world than ours….” and describing the crime as a “…senseless jungle-like barbaric killing.”
These remarks went unchecked. Michael never had a federal review of his conviction and death sentence. There was a delay in getting him a lawyer, and Michael sought to file his own pleadings, but the court said he was too late. The State of Florida is about to kill the third person this year (in addition to Jeffrey Hutchinson and Anthony Wainwright) whose sentence was never fully reviewed. Please sign and share Michael’s petition here.
It is not an exaggeration to say that Florida’s death penalty is now the most aggressive, insidious, secretive, and politically wielded scheme in the nation. We have the highest number of death row exonerees, the second largest death row population, the most people sentenced to death for the last several years as well as the most people executed in one year. We have the highest number of death eligible crimes, and the lowest standard for imposing death, requiring only 8 of 12 jurors to agree for the State to take a life.
And there’s no sign of this stopping any time soon, unless we continue to make noise. To resist. To demand compassion over cruelty.
Do your part.
Onward,
FADP Team