Death Row Killer's Last Words and Final Meal Revealed — as He Becomes 12th to Be Executed by Florida This Year
David Joseph Pittman was the 12th person executed in Florida this year.
Sept. 18 2025, Published 2:00 p.m. ET
David Joseph Pittman met his demise as he was executed at Florida State Prison in Raiford more than 30 years after killing three people, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Pittman had been convicted of murdering a couple, Clarence and Barbara Knowles, 60, and their 21-year-old daughter, Bonnie.
David Joseph Pittman's Final Words Revealed
In 1991, David Joseph Pittman was found guilty of killing a couple and their daughter.
Each member of the family had been stabbed repeatedly, and the phone line to the house had also been cut. The home was also set ablaze as Pittman attempted to get rid of evidence.
However, Pittman always maintained his innocence, even using his final words on this earth to declare they had the wrong man.
"I know you all came to watch an innocent man be murdered by the state of Florida," the 63-year-old said before receiving a lethal injection after 6 pm on Wednesday, September 18. "I am innocent. I didn't kill anybody. That’s it."
Before his death, Pittman requested steak, chicken, and biscuits for his final meal.
Details Of His Shock Crime
Pittman was the 12th person executed in Florida this year.
Following Pittman's crime, which occurred on May 15, 1990, authorities zeroed in on Pittman, who happened to be the estranged husband of the couple’s other daughter, Marie. During a nasty divorce, Pittman was said to have made threats to her family.
During the investigation, a witness was able to identify Pittman in a photo lineup as a man she claimed to have seen hours after the murders, running away from a burning car that had been stolen from the crime scene.
In his murder trial, which included jailhouse informants who claimed Pittman made incriminating statements about the murders, a jury found him guilty.
Psychologist Henry Dee testified during the sentencing phase and noted Pittman's IQ was 95, which is considered average. However, Dee also said the convicted killer showed signs of brain damage.
The jury recommended the death penalty for Pittman by a 9-3 vote.
Pittman’s execution marks the 12th carried out in the state of Florida in 2025, the most the state has recorded in a single year since reinstating the death penalty in 1976.
A final effort was made by Pittman's legal team to stay his execution, to no avail, as the high court turned down the request. Pittman’s final appeal was rejected on Tuesday by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Pittman's death warrant was signed by Governor Ron DeSantis.
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Pittman still declared his innocence with his final words.
Robert Dunham, director of the Death Penalty Policy Project, commented on Pittman's execution and said: "I don’t think there is an issue here about whether it is lawful and constitutional to execute him. It’s not.
"The question in this case is whether Florida intends to flout the Constitution and whether the U.S. Supreme Court is going to let them get away with it."
Before Pittman, the most recent execution in Florida was that of 59-year-old Curtis Windom, who was convicted of the 1992 murders of his girlfriend, her mother, and another man.
Windom's final meal consisted of ribs, baked beans, collard greens, potato salad, pie, ice cream, and a soda.
