By Michele Taylor - Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops
TALLAHASSEE, FL (Aug. 21, 2025) – The Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops (FCCB) has asked Gov. Ron DeSantis to stay the Aug. 28 scheduled execution of Curtis Windom and commute his sentences to life imprisonment without parole. Windom was sentenced to death for the 1992 murders of Johnnie Lee, Valerie Davis and Mary Lubin.
In a letter to DeSantis, Michael Sheedy, FCCB executive director, mourned the tragic deaths of the victims and the suffering of their loved ones. “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,” wrote Sheedy. “Every human life, given by God, is sacred.”
The Catholic Church teaches that the death penalty attacks the inviolability of the human person. Life-long incarceration without the possibility of parole is a severe yet more humane punishment that ensures societal safety, allows the guilty the possibility of redemption, and offers finality to court processes.
Before Windom’s scheduled execution, Catholic faithful and members of the community will gather in multiple locations across Florida to pray for him, for the families of his victims, and for DeSantis as he considers the request to stay the execution.
Full text of letter to DeSantis
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The Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops is an agency of the Catholic Bishops of Florida. It speaks for the Church in matters of public policy and serves as liaison to the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government. The archbishop and bishops of the seven (arch)dioceses in Florida constitute its board of directors.
Contact: Michele Taylor (850) [email protected]
