TALLAHASSEE – The Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops has asked Gov. Ron DeSantis to stay the Aug. 28 execution of Curtis Windom and commute his sentence to life in prison without parole.
Windom was sentenced to death for the 1992 murders of Johnnie Lee, Valerie Davis and Mary Lubin. In a letter to DeSantis, FCCB Executive Director Michael Sheedy expressed sorrow for the victims and their families but urged the governor to spare Windom’s life.
“Every human life, given by God, is sacred,” Sheedy wrote. “There is a way to punish without ending another human life: life-long incarceration without the possibility of parole.”
The bishops said such a sentence would ensure public safety, provide finality more quickly than the death penalty, and allow for the possibility of repentance.
The Catholic Church opposes capital punishment, teaching that it undermines the dignity of the human person.
Prayer gatherings are planned at multiple locations across Florida ahead of the scheduled execution.
Below is a copy of the letter sent to Gov. DeSantis:
Dear Governor DeSantis:
We write to ask you to grant a stay of the execution of Curtis Windom and to commute his sentences to life without parole.
Windom was convicted of and sentenced to death for the first-degree murders of Johnnie Lee, Valerie Davis, and Mary Lubin in 1992. We mourn the tragic deaths of Mr. Lee, Ms. Davis, and Ms. Lubin, and we feel sorrow for the terrible suffering their loved ones have had to live with ever since. May they find comfort in God. Indeed, the Church remains available to assist them with pastoral care.
Windom’s actions were terrible. It is entirely proper for the state to punish crimes of this nature very severely. Nevertheless, even as we pray for the repose of the souls of the victims and for the consolation of their survivors, we urge you to spare Mr. Windom’s life. Every human life, given by God, is sacred.
There is a way to punish without ending another human life: life-long incarceration without the possibility of parole. It is a severe yet more humane punishment that ensures societal safety, offers finality much more quickly than a death sentence, and allows the guilty the possibility of repentance.
We pray for you, too, Governor, as you consider this request.
