ORLANDO, Fla. — Governor Ron DeSantis has signed a death warrant for Thomas Gudinas, marking a continued acceleration of executions in Florida. The 51-year-old inmate is set to be executed on June 24, making him the seventh individual to face lethal injection in the state this year.
Gudinas was convicted in the brutal 1994 rape and murder of Michelle McGrath, whose life was taken while she enjoyed a night out in downtown Orlando. McGrath was last seen alive around 2:45 a.m. near a nightclub and was attacked as she returned to her vehicle, according to details from her case. Her body was discovered shortly thereafter in an alley, exhibiting signs of severe violence and sexual assault.
In a sentencing order issued in 1995, then-Circuit Judge Belvin Perry Jr. described the horrific nature of the crime, highlighting the violence Gudinas inflicted upon McGrath. The judge remarked on the agony she endured, emphasizing that her death was anything but peaceful. According to court documents, the evidence pointed to a vicious and gratuitous assault that left a profound impact on the community and the victim’s loved ones.
Gudinas’s death sentence was handed down after a trial that shifted venue to Collier County, and since then, the state has seen a notable increase in execution rates. Following the execution of one inmate in 2024 and six in 2023, Gudinas’s scheduled execution could indicate a heightened tempo in capital punishment cases in the state. Florida’s history notes the highest number of executions in a single year reached eight, occurring in both 1984 and 2014.
This year alone, five individuals have already been executed, with Anthony Wainwright’s impending execution on June 10 creating further headlines. Wainwright was convicted of kidnapping, raping, and murdering a woman in a supermarket parking lot during the mid-1990s. His defense team has sought intervention from the Florida Supreme Court in an effort to delay his execution.
The Florida Department of Corrections has consistently updated its statistics, showing an upward trend in executions over recent years. With the latest warrants published shortly after they were signed, there has been limited commentary from DeSantis, mirroring his approach to previous death warrant signings this year.
As the state moves forward with these pending executions, discussions surrounding the death penalty continue to generate debate, touching on moral, ethical, and procedural issues. Supporters argue for its deterrent effect on crime, while opponents believe it raises significant human rights concerns. The coming weeks will reveal how these proceedings unfold in a state increasingly willing to carry out capital punishment.