State authorities plan death penalty implementation for 1989 residence attack murder case
A man convicted of murdering a woman during a 1989 home invasion robbery is scheduled for execution Tuesday evening at Florida State Prison near Starke. Mark Allen Geralds, 58, is set for lethal injection at 6 p.m. after being resentenced to death in 1992 following his original 1990 conviction.
The victim, Tressa Pettibone, was discovered stabbed and beaten in her Panama City home by her eight-year-old son in February 1989. Court documents show Geralds, a carpenter who previously worked at the residence, gathered information about the family’s schedule before the attack.
Evidence linking Geralds included jewelry with the victim’s blood and plastic ties matching those found in his vehicle. After a death warrant was issued last month, Geralds informed a judge he would not pursue additional appeals.
This execution would mark Florida’s 18th this year, surpassing the state’s previous annual record. Another execution is set for December 18, bringing the state’s total to 19 for 2025. The procedure uses a sedative, a paralytic agent, and a cardiac arrest drug.