Catholic bishops urge Governor DeSantis to spare the life of Norman Grim
Every human life, given by God, is sacred.
Every human life, given by God, is sacred.
The Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops (FCCB) has asked Gov. Ron DeSantis to stay the execution of Norman Grim scheduled for October 28, 2025, and commute his sentence to life without parole.
Grim was convicted of and sentenced to death for the first-degree murder of Cynthia Campbell in 1998. While recognizing the heinous nature of Grim’s crime and the suffering of the victim’s loved ones, Michael Sheedy, FCCB executive director, urged in a letter to DeSantis that Grim’s life be spared.
In his letter, Sheedy observed the frequency with which individuals who are condemned to die have experienced torment and abuse. “Again and again, we see the same life patterns of individuals abused as children, exposed to harmful substances which seriously damage their capacity for moral virtue, and suffering from mental problems,” wrote Sheedy. “These factors do not mean that these individuals lack any responsibility at all for their crimes, but they do diminish culpability and highlight how the death penalty is not a solution to these types of depraved crimes.”
The Catholic Church teaches that the death penalty attacks the inviolability of the human person. Life-long incarceration without the possibility of parole is a severe yet more humane punishment that recognizes the inherent dignity of the guilty person while also ensuring societal safety.
Before Grim’s scheduled execution, Catholic faithful and members of the community will gather in multiple locations across Florida to pray for him, for the families of his victims, and for DeSantis as he considers the request to stay the execution.