Stop the Execution of Richard Knight in Florida

Florida Board of Executive Clemency and Governor Ron DeSantis

Richard Knight is scheduled for execution in Florida on May 21, 2026 for the 2000 murders of Odessia Stephens and Hanessia Mullings.

This petition will be updated when additional details become available. Last updated: 04/29/26

Visit our partners at Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty.

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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 Richard Knight on May 21, 2026. As someone who purports to follow Christian teachings, it is deeply disappointing that he does not extend these teachings to the individual condemned to death in the state of Florida. Please do not move forward with the execution of Richard Knight."

This is the eighth death warrant of 2026, following an unprecedented execution pace in 2025. Florida led the nation in executions in 2025 by setting its own record for executions with Governor DeSantis signing 19 death warrants last year. Let's make sure Florida does not repeat this record in 2026.

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 Richard Knight, who is scheduled for execution in Florida on May 21, 2026 for the 2000 murders of Odessia Stephens and Hanessia Mullings.

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 does 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.