Jewish Inmate Martin Grossman Put To Death

Starke, FL - Martin Grossman was declared dead at 6:17 p.m. at theFlorida state prison in Starke, 15 minutes after the start of his execution by lethal injection.

In a final statement, Grossman expressed remorse to the family of Peggy Park, the Florida wildlife officer he beat and shot to death more than 25 years ago.

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

"I would like to say a prayer," the 45-year-old man added, then, lying on a gurney, hands strapped to arm boards and with needles in both arms, he began reciting a Jewish prayer called the Schma.

It is the most sacred prayer in Judaism and the first prayer that Jewish children learn. Among its verses: "The Lord is our God, God is one."

Park's brother, sister and mother were among the 20 witnesses to the execution. They were seated directly in front of Grossman, who was visible through a window.

The Vatican, Jewish leaders as far away as Israel, and thousands of petitioners called for a stop to the execution on several grounds, including questions about whether the slaying was premeditated, Grossman's diminished IQ and his remorse for the crime.

Grossman's religious adviser, Rabbi Menachem Katz, was with him in his cell throughout the day.

Grossman took a shower and dressed at 4 p.m. He ordered no special last meal, just food from the prison cantina a fried chicken sandwich, fruit punch, and banana cookies, said Gretl Plessinger, spokeswoman for the state Department of Corrections.

"He is calm, compliant and resolved to the fact his execution is going to happen," Plessinger said before he was walked to the death chamber.

Grossman's final visit was 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. today with his aunt, Rosal Melton, and two female friends, Sharon Lion and Francine Whitehouse. The first two hours, a visitors window separated them and the last hour was a contact visit.

Earlier Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court refused today to block Grossman's execution.

He was sentenced to death for murdering Park on Dec. 13, 1984, as she patrolled a wooded area of Pinellas County now known as the Brooker Creek Preserve.

She came across Grossman, then a 19-year-old high school dropout, and a 17-year-old accomplice. They had a stolen gun. Grossman had already been to prison for grand theft and breaking-and-entering. He didn't want to go back. They beat Park with a flashlight and shot her with her service revolver.

Last-minute efforts to spare Grossman's life extended to the Vatican, which sent a letter to Gov. Charlie Crist saying "the prisoner has repented and is now a changed person." The letter was sent in response to a request from Rabbi Shear-Yashuv Cohen, chief Rabbi of Haifa, Israel.

Grossman is the 69th person executed in Florida since the death penalty was reinstated in 1979, and the 25th by lethal injection. He was the fifth inmate executed under Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, who has been in office for three years.

Crist signed Grossman's death warrant Jan. 12. Since that time, his office has received about 49,000 letters, telephone calls or e-mails, according to a spokesman.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Jewish
• Inmate
• Martin
• Grossman

[mrme2wentyfour]

@pjicleanair420 wtf does that mean

[pjicleanair420]

@spudnic88 says the spineless Canadian ..........

[MadFNMax]

Who cares if he was Jewish or not? That's not the issue. The issue is he was a cold blooded murderer who DESERVED TO DIE. One less piece of garbage waking our Earth.

[AmsterdamFire321]

@spudnic88 HAHAHAHAHAHA

[bahamaboy25]

wow they tell u what he ate in detail..

[spudnic88]

Why don't Jews eat pussy? Because it's too close to the gas chamber

[HubertWolfen]

wow looking at his mugshot, his name "grossman" fitted him well...

[whatsgoingon07]

Grossman's picture looks gross

[SqareSmart]

@camdentown100 i dont understand you why you hate jews the same as hitler. They are very good pepole. What martin grossman did is very terrible. I know that the park family lost a loved family member. But in this case was death penalty extremly wrong. Yes he killed but look on his backround. He lost his father and much more pain that he had from his childhood. Can you give death penalty in this case? Charlie crist did such a terrible thing.

[SqareSmart]

@Camdentown100 you are a fuckin hater of the jews. Are the jews murderers ?no most jewish pepole are not killers. Stop talking like that. You are the same fucking animal as the germans in 1945. Stop to hate the jews they are wonderful pepole. His backround made him do such a terrible thing. Don't get me wrong i don't support murderers. But in this case i do.