Convicted Killer Executed (Press, 2 December 1983)

On 1 December 1983, Robert Sullivan, a 36-year-old man convicted of murder, was executed in Florida's electric chair after spending a decade on death row. His execution came after he tearfully recited a psalm and expressed gratitude to Pope John Paul II for his efforts to save his life. Sullivan was pronounced dead six minutes following the approval of his execution by Florida's Governor Bob Graham. This event marked Florida as the first state to carry out two executions since the Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty seven years prior, with eight other men executed across the United States during this period. Sullivan was sentenced to death for the robbery and murder of Donald Schmidt, an assistant manager at a Howard Johnson’s restaurant in Homestead, Florida, on 9 April 1973. When arrested, Sullivan had possession of Schmidt’s credit cards and watch. Despite his claims of being at a homosexual bar located 64 kilometres away at the time of the murder, Sullivan had witnesses to support his alibi. Over the years, he successfully delayed his execution in 1979 and engaged in a series of appeals. The United States Supreme Court ultimately decided on Sullivan's case with an unsigned 7-2 ruling, stating that after thorough judicial review over a decade, a conclusion must be reached regarding capital punishment. Chief Justice Warren Burger, in a concurring opinion, articulated that the arguments against the death penalty as being cruel and unusual had been overshadowed by the prolonged suffering endured by those on death row, inflicted through prolonged legal battles.

The text on this page is created, in the most part, using Generative AI and so may contain errors or omissions. It is supplied to you without guarantee or warranty of correctness. If you find an error or would like to make a content suggestion please get in contact

The text on this page is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 New Zealand