STOP the Execution of Mark Geralds

Florida plans to execute Mark Geralds on December 9, 2025 for the 1989 murder of Tressa Pettibone.

We oppose this execution as we do every execution. Capital punishment is an act of state sanctioned violence that violates the sacred dignity of every human life. In the words of Pope Saint John Paul II, “The dignity of human life must never be taken away, even in the case of someone who has done great evil.” 

Mr. Geralds was just 22 years old at the time of the crime and has spent more than 35 years on Florida’s death row. His case has been marked by serious questions of prosecutorial misconduct and ineffective counsel — issues that have never been fully addressed. Forensic evidence in this case was not matched to Mr. Geralds and no DNA analysis has ever been performed.

At this point, Mr. Geralds has waived his remaining appeals. This means that there will be no legal review of the serious issues in his case.

Florida has already carried out 17 executions — by far the most executions out of any state in 2025 and the most in one year in Florida history. Please contact Gov. DeSantis today, and urge him to stop Mark Gerald’s execution and this spree of state-sanctioned death.