Catholic bishops urge Governor DeSantis to spare the life of David Pittman
The Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops (FCCB) has asked Gov. Ron DeSantis to stay the Sept. 17 scheduled execution of David Pittman and commute his sentences to life imprisonment without parole.
Pittman was sentenced to death for the first-degree murders of Clarence, Barbara and Bonnie Knowles in 1990. In a letter to DeSantis, Michael Sheedy, FCCB executive director, expressed sorrow for the tragic deaths of the victims and the suffering of their loved ones.
While recognizing that it is proper for the state to punish crimes of this nature severely, Sheedy urged DeSantis to spare Pittman’s life. “The death penalty is unnecessary,” wrote Sheedy. “There is a way to punish without ending another human life: life-long incarceration without the possibility of parole. It is a severe yet more humane punishment that ensures societal safety, offers finality much more quickly than a death sentence, and allows the guilty the possibility of repentance.”
Before Pittman’s scheduled execution, Catholic faithful and members of the community will gather in multiple locations across Florida to pray for him, for the victims and their family, and for DeSantis as he considers the request to stay the execution.
To learn more about the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops, click here.