TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WFLA) — Over 100 faith leaders across the state are urging Gov. Ron DeSantis to halt death penalty executions as Florida nears a modern-day record.

Those leaders walked to the state capitol on Tuesday to deliver a letter to the governor’s office, hoping he would consider their plea.
So far there have been seven executions this year, now the state is on the track to a record of nine total, with two more executions scheduled.

“The governor alone decides who lives and who dies with no checks or balances. My friends, that is not justice, that’s what we call vengeance,” said Demetrius Minor.

Faith leaders walked from the First Presbyterian Church in Tallahassee to the state capitol, delivering the letter by hand to the governor’s office, calling for a pause not just in executions, but to open dialogue on the death penalty’s future in Florida.

One of those voices was Deacon Andy Grosmaire who shared a deeply personal story about losing his daughter who was killed by her boyfriend.

Grosmaire said that in his eyes, the death penalty only prolongs the pain and prevents closure for grieving families.

“Now, through the help of God and through our community through our faith, we found forgiveness for the young man who killed my daughter,” said Grosmaire.

Alongside Grosmarie, leaders like Minor, a preacher at Tampa Life Church, highlighted the concerns around executing the innocent, saying there have been 30 individuals who were sentenced to die but were later proven innocent in the state.

“The question is, how many more innocent people are we willing to risk killing in the name of justice?” said Minor.

However, DeSantis has defended capital punishment in the past, calling it a necessary response for the worst of the worst crimes.
“When you see these things across your desk, these are brutal, brutal crimes,” said DeSantis. “This stuff is just overwhelmingly sadistic. It shocks your conscience.”

As faith leaders call for compassion, the governor defends justice, leaving Florida standing at a crossroads.
Where this conversation goes from here remains to be seen. The governor’s office did not offer a new response Tuesday and pointed us to his earlier comments on capital punishment from earlier in the year.