Fla. executes killer of wildlife officer
STARKE – A Florida death row inmate was executed Tuesday for the slaying of a state wildlife officer more than 25 years ago.
Martin Edward Grossman, 45, died at 6:17 p.m. at Florida State Prison, a spokesman for Gov. Charlie Crist said. Earlier Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to block the execution.
Grossman was convicted of first-degree murder in the death of 26-year-old Margaret “Peggy” Park, who was shot with her own gun Dec. 13, 1984.
Before the execution began, Grossman made a brief statement: “I would like to extend my heartfelt remorse to the victim’s family.”
After expressing regret, he added, “I accept responsibility.” He prayed briefly in Hebrew, then closed his eyes. He was pronounced dead 15 minutes later.
Grossman was the 69th person executed in Florida since the death penalty was reinstated here in 1979. He was the 25th by lethal injection, the fifth executed under Crist and the first in 2010.
Grossman was convicted in October 1985 and sentenced to death. Taylor was convicted of third-degree murder.
The victim’s sister, Betsy, witnessed the execution along with her 79-year-old mother Peggy Park and brother Stephen Park.
Afterward, reading from a statement, Betsy said, “We came here today hoping for closure and an end to the years of reminders of how Peggy died overshadowing our memories of how she lived. I believe we realized that hope today.”
Grossman ate a chicken sandwich, cookies and fruit punch Tuesday, Florida Department of Corrections spokeswoman Gretl Plessinger said. All the items were from the inmate canteen; he had not requested a last meal.
More Stories
Bomb threat at USF Cooper hall wasn’t legitimate, police say
University Police (UP) determined a reported bomb threat at Cooper Hall on Tuesday night wasn’t legitimate. After sweeping Cooper Hall, UP found “nothing of concern,” according to a universitywide email sent out at 12:39 a.m on Wednesday. The investigation is still ongoing, according to police. The USF community was first alerted to the bomb threat […]
Pro-Palestine encampment protest at USF broken up by tear gas
Law enforcement broke up a pro-Palestine encampment of around 100 protesters at the USF Tampa campus Tuesday evening using tear gas. The demonstration was the second in two days at USF where students, employees and community members urged the university to divest from companies with financial ties to Israel. Related: Several protesters at USF arrested […]
Several protestors at USF arrested during pro-Palestine encampment protest
Three protestors were arrested by University Police (UP) Monday afternoon during a pro-Palestine demonstration outside the Marshall Student Center (MSC), according to USF spokesperson Althea Johnson. Johnson said the three arrests included a student, an employee and an individual who is not associated with the university. Related: USF pro-Palestine hunger strikers removed from BOT meeting […]
The Oracle needs your help
Dear reader: Reporters for USF’s award-winning student newspaper, The Oracle, have recently navigated through a pandemic, a rapidly evolving political climate and a change in university president – all with the goal of sharing important news and stories. Though The Oracle has been an integral part in keeping the USF community informed since 1966, we […]
USF won’t install more physical protections following recent on-campus suicide
USF will not be implementing additional physical safety measures over a month after a student leapt from an upper floor inside the Interdisciplinary Sciences building, USF spokeswoman Althea Johnson said. The incident marked the third on-campus suicide since fall 2022. A week after a student fell from an upper floor of Beard Garage in 2022, […]
Meet USF’s new student body president and vice president
A new era of Student Government (SG) just arrived. In a quick five-minute ceremony, student body president-elect Suryakanth Prasad Gottipati and vice president-elect Sumit Subhash Jadhav were sworn in on Wednesday afternoon. Their term will start on May 6 and last for one year. Related: Take a look at USF’s student leaders’ swearing in ceremony […]