Execution of Jesse Guardado in Florida

Florida Board of Executive Clemency and Governor Ron DeSantis

Jesse Guardado is scheduled for execution in Florida on November 5, 2026, for the 2024 murder of Jackie Malone.

Case Additional information available from our partners at Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty.

Jesse Guardado was sentenced to death for the 2004 murder of Jackie Malone, a friend who had helped him find housing, work, and stability after his release from prison. At the time, Jesse was struggling with severe crack cocaine addiction and killed her during a robbery after a prolonged drug binge. He voluntarily confessed, cooperated with investigators, and pleaded guilty, hoping to spare her loved ones the pain of a trial.

Jesse’s life had been marked by childhood loss, neglect, and sexual and physical abuse, including at Florida’s notorious Dozier School for Boys. His jury never heard the full extent of that trauma. During more than two decades on death row, he has maintained sobriety, developed a deep faith, and remained connected to family members who love and rely on him. He has consistently accepted responsibility for Jackie’s death and expressed profound remorse for the suffering he caused.

Please sign this petition urging Governor DeSantis and the Florida Board of Executive Clemency to stop this execution and commute Jesse Guardado's sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Join the Virtual Sit In

Call Gov. DeSantis at 850-717-9337 with the following message:

"Hi. My name is [your name]. I am calling to urge Gov. DeSantis to reverse course and halt all plans to execute Jesse Guardado on November 5, 2026.  Jesse is another person who suffered  abuse at the Dozier School, which actually paid compensation to such survivors. Please do not move forward with the execution of Jesse Guardado."

REGISTER FOR THE 11/5 VIRTUAL VIGIL BEGINNING AT 5PM ET.

This is now the 20th death warrant of 2026, putting Florida is on track to surpass its 2025 unprecedented execution pace when Florida led the nation with 19 executions.  

While most states have moved away from the death penalty, Florida is accelerating executions at an alarming rate. Each warrant signed underscores the state’s embrace of a punishment that is arbitrary, racially biased, and out of step with evolving standards of decency.

Please sign the petition asking Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida State Board of Executive Clemency to do everything within their power to stop this execution, including issuing a stay, and seeking a path to clemency in the case.

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Death Penalty Action

To: Florida Board of Executive Clemency and Governor Ron DeSantis
From: [Your Name]

We are writing to you regarding Jesse Guardado, who​ is scheduled for execution in Florida on November 5, 2026, for the 2024 murder of Jackie Malone.​

Jesse Guardado was sentenced to death for the 2004 murder of Jackie Malone, a friend who had helped him find housing, work, and stability after his release from prison. At the time, Jesse was struggling with severe crack cocaine addiction and killed her during a robbery after a prolonged drug binge. He voluntarily confessed, cooperated with investigators, and pleaded guilty, hoping to spare her loved ones the pain of a trial.

Jesse’s life had been marked by childhood loss, neglect, and sexual and physical abuse, including at Florida’s notorious Dozier School for Boys. His jury never heard the full extent of that trauma. During more than two decades on death row, he has maintained sobriety, developed a deep faith, and remained connected to family members who love and rely on him. He has consistently accepted responsibility for Jackie’s death and expressed profound remorse for the suffering he caused.

We believe in accountability and have sympathy for the victim's family members, friends, and community. Their loss is tragic and unimaginable. But true justice and accountability do not require execution. A sentence of life without the possibility of parole protects society while also recognizing the human capacity for redemption and the role of childhood trauma in shaping adult behavior.​

Florida’s record-breaking pace of executions is a moral and constitutional crisis. Each new warrant signed undercuts the rule of law, retraumatizes families, and moves us further from true justice.

We are concerned that while the vast majority of states with capital punishment continue on a downward trend of executions, Florida is going against this trend by resuming and increasing the frequency of executions - exceeding previous state records.

We, the undersigned, ask that you do everything within your power to stop this execution, including issuing a stay, and seeking a path to clemency in the case. By commuting his sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole, you will send a message that the State of Florida does not need the death penalty to be safer, and that it only serves to perpetuate the cycle of violence.

Thank you for your time and attention to this serious matter.