STOP the Execution of Thomas Lee Gudinas

Florida intends to execute Thomas Lee Gudinas on June 24 for the 1994 murder of Michelle McGrath.

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.”

Tommy’s life was defined by trauma, instability, and repeated failures of the systems meant to protect him. Sentenced to die at just 20 years old, his case reflects not only the lasting impact of severe childhood abuse and untreated mental health issues, but also how our criminal legal system so often punishes the most vulnerable instead of helping them.

Throughout his childhood, Tommy endured profound physical, sexual, and emotional abuse at the hands of nearly every adult around him—his father, mother, stepfather, and others. Diagnosed with multiple psychiatric and developmental issues from a young age, he was labeled a “sexually disturbed child” and shuffled through 105 different institutional placements. Yet, the long-term psychiatric treatment so many professionals said he needed was never provided.

Executing Tommy only perpetuates a “throw-away” culture that denies the sacred dignity of human life.

Contact Governor DeSantis and the Florida Board of Executive Clemency today to support clemency for Thomas Lee Gudinas.