Florida executes Martin Grossman

STARKE — Florida has executed a 45-year-old man condemned for the murder of a young wildlife officer in Pinellas County 25 years ago.

Martin Edward Grossman (pictured) was pronounced dead by lethal injection at 6:17 p.m.. His attorneys had tried to get the U.S. Supreme Court to issue a last-minute stay, but the high court declined.

Grossman was condemned for shooting and killing wildlife officer Margaret "Peggy" Park, 26, on Dec. 13, 1984. Park's 79-year-old mother went against a doctor's suggestion and traveled from Ohio to attend the execution, as did other family members.

"I would like to extend my heartfelt remorse to the victim's family," Grossman said in his last statement. "I fully regret everything that occurred that night. Everything that was done, whether I remember everything or not, I accept responsibility."

Grossman then said a sacred Jewish prayer and closed his eyes as a three-chemical cocktail began flowing into his body just after 6 p.m.. His chest stopped moving at 6:04 p.m. and a doctor pronounced him dead 13 minutes later.

The execution came after a whirlwind day in which death penalty opponents and religious leaders — Jewish and Catholic — pleaded with Gov. Charlie Crist to halt the execution.

Though the Vatican called for mercy for Grossman, even the pope didn't argue that he was innocent.

Grossman "has repented and is now a changed person, having become a man of faith,'' wrote Archbishop Fernando Filoni on behalf of Pope Benedict XVI. He asked for "whatever steps may be possible to save the life of Mr. Grossman.''

Filoni wrote the letter at the behest of the chief rabbi of Israel, Shear-Yashuv Cohen.

Grossman, meanwhile, declined the traditional last meal. Instead, he had a banana cream and peanut butter cookies, canned fruit punch and a chicken sandwich he bought himself from the inmate canteen, according to the Department of Corrections.

His last visitors were his aunt and two friends.

Grossman becomes the 7th condemned inmate to be put to death this year in the USA and the 1195th overall since the nation resumed executions on January 17, 1982.

Source: tampabay.com and Rick Halperin, Feb. 16, 2010