June 25th 2025.
On a somber Tuesday evening at the Florida State Prison near Starke, Thomas Lee Gudinas drew his last breath. After spending over three decades on death row, the 51-year-old was finally given a lethal injection for the heinous crime he committed. This execution was for the rape and murder of Michelle McGrath, a former homecoming queen who dedicated her life to helping the homeless.
As he lay strapped to a gurney, Gudinas used his final words to express remorse for taking the life of McGrath in 1994. He even made a reference to Jesus before the drugs began to enter his system through an IV in his left arm. As the execution proceeded, Gudinas experienced chest convulsions and his face slowly lost its color. He peacefully passed away at 6:13 pm, as confirmed by Governor Ron DeSantis's spokesperson, Bryan Griffin.
Gudinas's mother was his only visitor in his final moments. It was a stark contrast to the number of people present when McGrath was last seen alive at Barbarella's bar on May 24, 1994, just before 3 am. It was later discovered that Gudinas had been at the same bar with some friends the night before. Sadly, McGrath's body was found in an alley by an employee of a nearby school who immediately reported seeing Gudinas fleeing the area.
The evidence against Gudinas was overwhelming, and he was ultimately convicted of McGrath's brutal murder. The 1995 sentencing resulted in his death penalty, which was carried out on Tuesday, making him the seventh inmate to be executed in Florida this year and the 24th in the entire United States. It is worth noting that Florida has had the most executions in the country this year, something that Department of Corrections spokesperson Ted Veerman acknowledged by stating, "Our staff are doing a fantastic job keeping up with the pace of these executions, and we are going through with these in a professional manner."
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