By Vanguard Staff
FLORIDA — The State of Florida carried out its seventh execution of the year Tuesday night, killing Tommy Gudinas for the 1994 murder of Michelle McGrath. His execution marks the fastest pace of executions under any Florida governor since 1979.
Gudinas was 20 years old at the time of the crime. According to advocates, his life was marked by severe childhood trauma, medical neglect, and systemic failure. Born to a teenage mother, Gudinas spent much of his infancy in and out of the hospital, reportedly returning six times in the first six months due to breathing issues. He was also subjected to brutal abuse by his father, who once burned his hand and forced him to stand outside with a sign stating he had wet the bed.
By the end of his childhood, Gudinas had only a fourth-grade education and had cycled through 105 placements in Florida’s Division of Youth Services.
Advocates say that when Gudinas encountered McGrath on an Orlando street in 1994, he was self-medicating his untreated trauma and mental illness with drugs and alcohol—leading to a tragic and irreversible act that took McGrath’s life.
“Florida’s execution of Tommy Gudinas does not bring Michelle McGrath back,” said Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (FADP) in a public statement. “It creates more trauma, more grief, and another grieving family.”
Notably, several members of McGrath’s family declined to attend the execution, describing it as “trauma on top of trauma.” According to FADP, they expressed relief only that the constant state notifications about Gudinas’ case would finally end—relief that, the organization argues, could have been achieved decades earlier with a life without parole sentence, avoiding years of appeals and uncertainty.
In his final hours, Gudinas visited with his mother and spoke to his sister, Michelle, who publicly acknowledged the pain inflicted on both families. In a message to McGrath’s relatives, she said:
“I want to extend my deepest condolences to Ms. McGrath’s family. I am very, very sorry for your loss. I hope your hearts heal with each passing day.”
FADP sharply criticized Florida’s current use of the death penalty, calling it “the most aggressive, insidious, secretive, and politically wielded scheme in the nation.”
“Florida has become the monster it claims to be trying to stop,” the group said. “The death penalty does not deliver healing or justice. It prolongs pain, and it creates more victims.”
Gudinas’ execution is the latest in a string of capital punishments that advocates say reflect a troubling escalation in the state’s pursuit of death sentences under the current administration.
“Seventh Execution of 2025 Sparks Condemnation over Cycle of Trauma”
Was that an electric chair pun? Glad you finally got a sense of humor about this stuff :-|