Florida Executes 11th Inmate of the Year, Topping Nation in Death Penalty Cases

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Curtis Windom, a 59-year-old man convicted of murdering three people, was put to death by lethal injection in Florida, marking the state's 11th execution of the year. Windom was sentenced to death for the 1992 killings of his girlfriend Valerie Davis, her mother Mary Lubin, and Johnnie Lee in the Orlando area. The execution brought Florida to the top of the nation in death penalty cases, surpassing the previous highest annual total of eight executions in 2014.

Key Takeaways:

  • Curtis Windom, 59, was executed by lethal injection in Florida on Thursday for the 1992 murders of his girlfriend Valerie Davis, her mother Mary Lubin, and Johnnie Lee.
  • This was the 11th execution in Florida this year, surpassing the previous highest annual total of eight executions in 2014.
  • Florida has executed more people than any other state this year, with four executions in Texas and South Carolina tied for second place.
  • The execution was carried out at Florida State Prison, where Windom was given a three-drug injection – a sedative, a paralytic, and a drug that stops the heart.
  • Windom's daughter, Curtisia Windom, campaigned to stop the execution and delivered a statement from an anti-death penalty group, saying, "Forgiveness comes with time, and 33 years is a long time. I, myself, have forgiven my father."
  • The inmate's lawyers had filed numerous appeals over the years, including a claim that evidence of his mental problems should have been introduced at trial.
  • The Florida Supreme Court ruled that this evidence would not have been prejudicial against Windom because prosecutors would have presented evidence that he was a drug dealer and the two women he killed were police informants.
  • Many of Windom's appeals had focused on claims that he was represented by an incompetent lawyer when it came to presenting mental health evidence.
  • The U.S. Supreme Court rejected Windom's final appeal on Wednesday.

Statistics:

  • 11th execution in Florida in 2025, with the state leading the nation in death penalty cases.
  • 30th person executed in the U.S. to date in 2025.
  • 33 years since the murders took place, with Windom's daughter, Curtisia, having forgiven her father.
  • 5000 petition signatures delivered to the governor urging him to intervene in the execution.
  • 8 highest previous annual total of Florida executions in 2014.
  • 4 executions in Texas and 4 executions in South Carolina, tied for second place.
  • 67, the age of Kayle Bates, who was executed in Florida on August 19.

Sources:

  • "Florida executes 11th inmate of 2025, Curtis Windom" by Curt Anderson, no publication date.
  • "Curtisia Windom, daughter of Curtis Windom, delivers statement from anti-death penalty group" by anti-death penalty group, no publication date.
  • "Florida executions: Curtis Windom put to death for 1992 murders" by Associated Press, no publication date.