Mark Allen Geralds, aged 58, was declared dead at 6.15pm after receiving a three-drug lethal injection at Florida State Prison (Image: Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
A man found guilty of fatally stabbing a woman during a home invasion nearly four decades ago was put to death on Tuesday evening in Florida.
Mark Allen Geralds, aged 58, was declared dead at 6.15pm after receiving a three-drug lethal injection at Florida State Prison for the February 1989 killing of Tressa Pettibone. The execution marked the 18th in Florida this year, setting a new state record for the highest number of executions in a single year, with another scheduled for next week.
When asked whether he wished to make any final statement, Geralds addressed someone by name, though the name could not be heard clearly. He said, “I’m sorry that I missed you.”
He then added, “I loved you every day.”
As the lethal drugs were administered, he took approximately a dozen deep breaths. His body subsequently quivered and twitched, with his mouth opening and closing.
Within three to four minutes, Geralds became motionless.
Following the execution, a victim advocate from the state attorney’s office delivered a statement on behalf of the Pettibone family. It noted the family has “endured so much as this long legal journey has seemed unending at times.
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“Tomorrow, when we wake up, it will be the first time in nearly 37 years that we don’t have to worry about another appeal being filed or another law changing that could potentially thwart the justice we have been fighting so hard for for so long,” the family said. Jordan Kirkland, a spokesperson for the Florida Department of Corrections, revealed that eight individuals linked to Pettibone were present at the prison for the execution.
However, it remained unclear how many of them witnessed the event in person, and none chose to address the media directly.
Pettibone was brutally assaulted in her Panama City residence on 1st February 1989. Tragically, her 8 year old son discovered his mother’s lifeless body, fatally stabbed on the kitchen floor, upon returning from school later that day, as per court documents.
Geralds, a carpenter by trade, had previously undertaken remodelling work at Pettibone’s home approximately a year prior.
In a chilling encounter about a week before the murder, Geralds bumped into Pettibone and her two children at a shopping centre. During their conversation, Pettibone mentioned her husband was away on business.
Later, Geralds approached Pettibone’s son at a video arcade, probing about the father’s return date and the daily school timings of the boy and his sister, according to the records.
Flordia executions explained (Image: Getty)
Investigations revealed that Geralds had pawned jewellery stained with traces of Pettibone’s blood. Additionally, plastic ties used to restrain Pettibone matched those found in Geralds’ vehicle, as indicated by the records.
Geralds was found guilty of murder, armed robbery, among other charges, and was sentenced to death in 1990. The Florida Supreme Court later overturned the sentence but upheld the conviction, leading to Geralds being resentenced to death in 1992.
Following the signing of a death warrant last month and the setting of his execution date, Geralds informed a judge that he had no intention of pursuing any additional appeals. The judge approved that decision.
In their statement, Pettibone’s family painted a picture of her as “a faithful wife, loving mother, daughter, sister, aunt and dedicated friend.”
Her family “was her world, and everything she did centered around them.”
They remembered her passion for the festive period, calling her a “Christmas nut” who adorned the house with lights, numerous trees and “ornate Santa Clauses and reindeer” whilst baking biscuits, bread, cakes and pies. She took pleasure in creating presents, and her family said they continue to showcase her handcrafted items annually.
Pettibone “was a wonderful person with a family and many friends who loved her dearly,” the statement said. “Today we crossed the finish line for her, and we close this very painful chapter in our lives.”
With Tuesday’s execution included, 45 men have been put to death through court-ordered execution thus far this year across the United States, with several more executions scheduled for the remainder of the year.
Since the US Supreme Court reinstated capital punishment in 1976, Florida’s previous highest annual execution total stood at eight in 2014. Florida has carried out more executions than any other state this year.
A further execution is scheduled for next week in the state following death warrants signed by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis. Frank Athen Walls, aged 58, is set to be the 19th person executed in Florida this year, with his execution scheduled for 18 December.
He was found guilty of fatally shooting a man and woman during a home invasion robbery, and subsequently confessed to three additional murders.
According to the state Department of Corrections, executions in Florida are carried out by lethal injection, which involves the use of a sedative, a paralytic, and a drug that induces cardiac arrest.
