In a case that has haunted a Florida community for over three decades, David Joseph Pittman was executed on September 17, 2025, after spending 34 years on death row. His conviction for the brutal murders of his estranged wife’s family has sparked intense debates about justice, mental health, and the death penalty.
The chilling events unfolded on May 15, 1990, in Mulberry, Florida, a small town known for its tranquility. That night, Clarence and Barbara Knowles, both in their 50s, along with their 20-year-old daughter Bonnie, were violently attacked in their home. The perpetrator? David Pittman, then 28, who was embroiled in a bitter divorce from the Knowles’ daughter, Marie.
Reports indicate that Pittman had made threats against the family prior to the attack. He cut the phone line to the Knowles’ home before entering and committing the heinous acts. Bonnie was stabbed multiple times, while her parents were also fatally attacked. After the murders, Pittman set the house ablaze and stole Bonnie’s car, which he later burned in an apparent attempt to destroy evidence.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, who responded to the scene, described the crime as an act where Pittman sought to “wipe out an entire family.” The evidence against him was overwhelming, including a jailhouse informant who claimed Pittman confessed to the killings, detailing the events leading up to the attack.
Despite maintaining his innocence throughout the years, Pittman was convicted in 1991 on three counts of first-degree murder, along with charges of arson and grand theft. The jury’s recommendation for the death penalty was upheld by the court, citing the particularly brutal nature of the crimes.
For 34 years, Pittman remained on death row, with his legal team filing numerous appeals, all of which were denied. A significant turn came in 2015 when his attorneys argued that he was intellectually disabled, a claim that, if proven, would render him ineligible for execution under a Supreme Court ruling. However, the state countered that Pittman had waited too long to raise this argument, leading to a lengthy legal battle that ultimately reached the U.S. Supreme Court.
As the execution date approached, activists rallied outside Florida State Prison, calling for clemency. On the day of his execution, Pittman chose a final meal of steak, chicken, and biscuits. When given the chance to speak, he proclaimed his innocence one last time, stating, “I know you all came to watch an innocent man be murdered by the state of Florida.”
Witnesses reported that Pittman was pronounced dead shortly after the procedure began. Sheriff Judd, who had long followed the case, reaffirmed his belief in Pittman’s guilt, describing him as “vicious” and saying he “earned” the death penalty.
Pittman’s execution was part of a larger trend in Florida, where Governor Ron DeSantis had signed multiple death warrants that year, igniting discussions about the state’s approach to capital punishment. The Knowles family, who lost three members in that tragic night, have lived with the aftermath for 35 years, a haunting reminder of the violence that shattered their lives.
As the conversation around the death penalty continues to evolve, one question lingers: When doubts about a defendant’s eligibility for execution arise, should the state still proceed?
