“One of the cruelest cases in the history” of the region
Prosecutor Jim Appleman described the murder as “one of the cruelest cases in the history” of the region.
What were the circumstances of Tressa Pettibone's murder?
How old was Mark Allen Geralds at the time of the crime?
When was Mark Allen Geralds executed?
How many death sentences have been carried out in Florida in 2025?
On February 1, 1989, 8-year-old Bart Pettibone returned from school and found his mother's bloody body in the kitchen. The 33-year-old was beaten, bound, gagged and fatally stabbed twice in the neck and once in the side. The medical examiner determined that her wrists had been bound with a plastic band for at least 20 minutes before her death.
Execution in Florida. The convict made headlines
At the time of the crime, Mark Allen Geralds was a 22-year-old with eight convictions.
He robbed the Pettibone family after doing construction work for them. Police later discovered he had pawned a gold necklace matching one that had gone missing from Pettibone's home and given the victim's sunglasses to a friend.
In 1990, Geralds made headlines when he escaped from prison while awaiting trial.
The execution order was signed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in November. The convicted person stated that he “does not want to make any further appeals.”
The judge approved this decision, considering it conscious and voluntary, which enabled the execution of the sentence.
Geralds' execution was the 18th this year in Florida, which has carried out the most death sentences in the US. The state announces another one for December 18.
