In brief
Norman Mearle Grim Jr., aged 65, is scheduled to be executed via lethal injection in Florida on Tuesday evening. He was convicted of the 1998 murder of his neighbor, Cynthia Campbell, whose body was found with multiple stab wounds and blunt force injuries. This execution marks Florida's 15th this year, extending its record for total executions in a single year. Grim waived his appeal rights, solidifying his fate in Florida's increasing use of capital punishment.
STARKE, Fla. (AP) — A Florida man convicted of raping and killing his next-door neighbor is set to be executed Tuesday evening. Norman Mearle Grim Jr., 65, is scheduled to receive a lethal injection starting at 6 p.m. at Florida State Prison near Starke. Grim was convicted of sexual battery and first-degree murder and sentenced to death for the 1998 killing of his neighbor Cynthia Campbell.This execution will be Florida’s 15th death sentence carried out in 2025, which extends the state record for total executions in a single year. Campbell was reported missing in 1998, with her battered body later discovered off the Pensacola Bay Bridge by a fisherman. Prosecutors indicated that she suffered multiple blunt-force injuries consistent with being struck by a hammer, along with 11 stab wounds, seven of which penetrated her heart. DNA evidence linked Grim to the crime, and he was convicted in December 2000.Grim waived his opportunity to appeal following a recent hearing, indicating he will not challenge his execution date. In 2025, the U.S. has recorded at least 40 executions, with Florida leading the way. Following Grim, there are plans for additional executions in Florida including Bryan Fredrick Jennings on November 13 and Richard Barry Randolph on November 20.
