Scheduled Execution of Thomas Lee Gudinas in Florida

Thomas Lee Gudinas, 51, is set to be executed by lethal injection at Florida State Prison near Starke on Tuesday, barring any last-minute delays. He was convicted for the 1994 murder and sexual assault of Michelle McGrath, whose body was discovered after her last known sighting at Barbarella’s bar early on May 24, 1994.

McGrath was last seen at the bar just before 3 a.m. Her body, found in an alley next to a school hours later, showed signs of severe trauma. Witnesses testified that Gudinas was present that night; however, they claimed he left alone. A school employee who later found McGrath’s body identified Gudinas as fleeing the scene, and another woman linked him to an earlier threatening encounter.

Gudinas was sentenced to death in 1995 for his crimes. His attorneys recently filed appeals to both the Florida Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing that mental illnesses — including lifelong mental health issues — should exempt him from execution. However, the Florida Supreme Court rejected the appeal last week, ruling that protections for individuals with intellectual disabilities do not extend to those with mental illnesses or brain damage.

This year, Florida has carried out more executions than any other state, with Gudinas’s scheduled put to death marking the seventh in the state for 2025. Nationally, 23 executions have occurred this year, making 2025 potentially the most active year for executions since 2015.

Further legal challenges are ongoing, with a federal case claiming that Florida’s judicial discretion in death warrant approvals violates inmates’ constitutional rights to due process. The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on this matter is pending.