Florida has acknowledged the suffering of children abused at the Dozier School. That acknowledgment should extend to mercy for Jesse Guardado, whose jury never heard what the state put him through.

Jesse Guardado, 64, was sentenced to death for the 2004 murder of Jackie Malone, a friend who had helped him find housing, work, and stability after his release from prison. At the time, Jesse was struggling with severe crack cocaine addiction and killed her during a robbery after a prolonged drug binge. He voluntarily confessed, cooperated with investigators, and pleaded guilty, hoping to spare her loved ones a lengthy legal process.

Jesse is scheduled for execution on November 5, 2026. His attorneys are actively challenging his death sentence in court, and Governor DeSantis has the authority to stop his execution at any time. Here are three reasons Jesse deserves mercy:

Jesse’s jury never heard the full story of his childhood trauma and abuse while in state custody at the Dozier School for Boys.

Jesse’s father died by suicide when Jesse was three. As a child, he experienced neglect, sexual abuse, and exposure to drugs that developed into severe addiction. In juvenile custody, he was raped by a guard. At Florida’s notorious Dozier School for Boys, he was beaten while shackled, witnessed sexual assaults, and feared that staff would kill him. These experiences left him with lasting trauma that fueled his substance use. Although Jesse mentioned Dozier in his confession, his trial attorneys never investigated or presented his experiences there to the jury. The people deciding whether he should live or die never heard this critical evidence. Clemency offers an opportunity to consider it now.

Jesse has consistently accepted responsibility and expressed profound remorse.

Jesse voluntarily contacted law enforcement, confessed to killing Jackie Malone, and helped investigators locate evidence. He pleaded guilty without seeking a sentencing deal because he wanted to spare her loved ones the pain of a trial. He has never sought to withdraw that plea or deny responsibility. Even the judge who sentenced him to death recognized his sincere remorse and gave it great weight. More than two decades later, Jesse continues to acknowledge the devastation he caused by killing a friend who had repeatedly helped him rebuild his life. In his clemency letter, he writes: “I can offer no excuses for what I did, only my sincerest apologies and regrets.”

Jesse’s rehabilitation shows that he can live a peaceful, useful life in prison.

During more than 20 years on death row, Jesse has maintained sobriety, found faith, and built lasting relationships with his wife, mother, siblings, and friends. Psychiatrist Dr. Terry Kupers, who evaluated Jesse in prison, described his remarkable stability and growth despite years of trauma and isolation. Dr. Kupers concluded that Jesse could help reduce violence in prison by offering younger prisoners guidance and modeling mutual respect. His family also relies on his companionship and emotional support. Commuting his sentence to life without parole would allow him to continue taking responsibility, supporting others, and contributing to the prison community.