Florida has carried out its 15th execution of the year, setting a modern state record as convicted murderer Norman Mearle Grim Jr. was executed Tuesday evening for the brutal rape and killing of his neighbor, Cynthia Campbell. Grim, 65, died by lethal injection at Florida State Prison near Starke after spending decades on death row for the horrifying 1998 murder that shocked the Pensacola community.
Authorities said Campbell disappeared in July 1998 before her battered body was discovered floating near the Pensacola Bay Bridge by a fisherman. Investigators later revealed the victim suffered devastating injuries, including multiple blunt-force wounds consistent with hammer strikes and 11 stab wounds to the chest — seven of which pierced her heart. Prosecutors described the crime as exceptionally violent, while forensic evidence and DNA ultimately linked Grim directly to the killing.
The case remained one of the region’s most disturbing homicide investigations, with detectives painstakingly piecing together evidence that led to Grim’s conviction for first-degree murder and sexual battery. Over the years, the convicted killer exhausted numerous appeals before ultimately waiving his final legal challenges earlier this month, clearing the way for the execution ordered under Governor Ron DeSantis.
According to prison officials, Grim awoke at 6 a.m. on the day of his execution and later requested a final meal of fried pork chops, mashed potatoes, and a chocolate milkshake. Officials also confirmed that he declined visits from spiritual advisers and received no visitors before the lethal injection process began. He was pronounced dead at 6:15 p.m. following Florida’s three-drug execution protocol.
The execution underscores Florida’s aggressive use of capital punishment in recent years. Since the reinstatement of the death penalty in 1976, the state had never previously exceeded eight executions in a single year until now. Florida currently leads the nation in executions this year, surpassing both Texas and Alabama. Two more executions are already scheduled in the coming weeks under death warrants signed by DeSantis.
As the state moves forward with additional executions, debate surrounding the death penalty continues to intensify across the country. While supporters argue cases like Grim’s justify the harshest punishment possible, critics question the growing pace of executions nationwide. Yet for many connected to Cynthia Campbell’s case, Tuesday’s execution marked the final chapter in a decades-long search for justice after one of Florida’s most brutal crimes.
