Martin Grossman
| Martin Grossman | |
|---|---|
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|
| Born |
Martin Edward Grossman January 19, 1965 |
| Died | February 16, 2010 (aged 45) Florida State Prison, Starke, Florida |
| Cause of death | Execution by lethal injection |
| Nationality | American |
| Criminal charge | First degree murder |
| Criminal penalty | Execution |
| Criminal status | Executed |
| Motive | Avoid breach of probation |
| Conviction(s) | First degree murder |
Martin Edward Grossman (January 19, 1965 – February 16, 2010) was convicted of first degree murder for his part in the December 13, 1984, Florida killing of wildlife officer Peggy Park. He was executed by lethal injection. In the days before his execution, there were a large number of appeals for clemency, ranging from petitions to pleas, as well as a request to halt the execution from Pope Benedict XVI. Grossman, a Jewish American, received strong support from national and international Jewish organizations for his death sentence to be commuted.
Grossman, an only child, grew up having to care for his mentally and physically ill father and uncle, a full-time responsibility which led to his dropping out of the ninth grade. His father died when he was 15 years old, followed shortly by his uncle, grandfather and other relatives. Grossman experienced severe depression and used alcohol and a variety of narcotics such as marijuana and PCP. He also took prescription drugs, including Valium and barbiturates, readily available in his mother's medicine cabinet.
On December 13, 1984, Margaret "Peggy" Park, a 26-year-old wildlife officer, came across Grossman (then aged 19) and Thayne Taylor (aged 17) shooting a stolen handgun in a wooded area of Pinellas County, Florida. Grossman, who was on probation for grand theft and other charges after burglarizing a former girlfriend's house, asked her not to turn him in for possessing a weapon and being outside Pasco County. Both were violations of his probation.
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