Gerrard Kaonga
Death row inmate Thomas Lee Gudinas has become the latest person to be put to death in the state of Florida.
Gudinas, 51, was convicted and sentenced to death for the rape and murder of 27-year-old Michelle McGrath back in 1994.
On the date of her disappearance, May 24, McGrath was seen at Barbarella’s bar in Orlando, Florida, in the early hours of the morning.
Gudinas was spotted at the same bar the night prior with some friends of his.
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An employee at a nearby school discovered McGrath’s body in an alley hours after she was last seen and they claimed to have seen Gudinas fleeing the area moments before.
Her body had signs of sexual violence and trauma.
Authorities believe McGrath had been out with a friend and was attacked while she was walking to her car.
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Gudinas was convicted of killing McGrath and sentenced to death in 1995. He has been on death row ever since.
Officials said his final meal consisted of pizza, fries and soda and he was pronounced dead at 6:13pm local time on Tuesday (June 24).
According to the Associated Press, following a lethal injection Gudinas' last words were inaudible to those viewing his execution, however, Governor Ron DeSantis’ office issued a statement about the murderer's final moments.
The spokesman for his office, Bryan Griffin, said that the inmate repented and made reference to Jesus.
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Prior to his execution Gudinas, did not see a spiritual advisor and officials said his only visitor was his mom.
Witnesses of the execution say that when the drugs entered Gudinas’ system, his eyes rolled back and he had some chest convulsions as his face began to lose color before laying motionless.
It is not clear whether McGrath’s parents were present during the execution. At the time of Gudina’s guilty verdict, McGrath’s father, Douglas McGrath, said: “It seems like a tragic waste of his life and my daughter’s life.
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“We are deprived of my daughter… forever.”
Gudinas was the seventh person this year put to death in Florida this year and the 24th overall in the US.
In addition to this, Florida has put more people to death this year than any other state.
Department of Corrections spokesman Ted Veerman addressed this fact following the execution of Gudinas.
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He said: “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.”
If you've been affected by any of the issues in this article, you can contact The National Sexual Assault Hotline on 800.656.HOPE (4673), available 24/7. Or you can chat online via online.rainn.org.