Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has signed an execution warrant for Mark Allen Geralds, convicted of murder in 1989. The execution is scheduled for December 9.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed an execution warrant on Friday for Mark Allen Geralds, convicted of the murder of Tressa Lynn Pettibone in 1989. Geralds, at the age of 58, was found guilty of first-degree murder, armed robbery, and other offenses, and the death penalty was recommended by a jury. The execution is scheduled for December 9, and if it takes place, Geralds will be the 18th death row inmate executed this year, a record year for Florida, with 15 executions already carried out. DeSantis stated that the swift signing of execution warrants brings justice to the victims' families and emphasized that he wants to finalize cases that have gone through lengthy appeals. Florida has had a record number of executions, with two per month since May, and the state currently has 256 inmates on death row.