STOP the Execution of Melvin Trotter

Florida intends to execute Melvin Trotter on February 24, 2026 for the 1986 murder of Virgie Langford.

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 Saint Pope John Paul II, “The dignity of human life must never be taken away, even in the case of someone who has done great evil.” 

Melvin’s death sentence was handed down by a non-unanimous jury on two separate occasions. Florida is one of the only states that allows a death sentence to be given without the full confidence of the jury making it widely recognized as unreliable. Melvin’s life was shaped by severe trauma, instability, and intellectual limitations that were never meaningfully addressed in court.

At 65 years old, Melvin has served almost four decades on death row. Executing elderly people serves no deterrent purpose and raises profound constitutional and moral questions. Moreover, the United States Supreme Court has recognized that punishments for this population no longer serve legitimate penological goals of deterrence and retribution.

The state of Florida scheduled Melvin’s execution exactly two weeks after the scheduled execution of Ronald Heath (Feb. 10) and with the execution of Billy Leon Kearse scheduled the following week (March 3). This pace indicates that Florida intends to execute individuals at the same rate it did last year establishing capital punishment as routine. Throughout 2025, the state executed, on average, one individual every 16 days, resulting in 19 executions in the course of the year.

Our efforts are needed to continue to signal to Florida that these executions do not represent public opinion on the death penalty. The perpetuation of violence will never equate to justice.

Contact Gov. DeSantis and the Florida Board of Executive Clemency today to support clemency for Melvin Trotter.