The Jerusalem Post and Miami Herald
The U.S. Supreme Court refused Tuesday to block the execution of a 45-year-old man convicted of murdering a state wildlife officer in 1984 when she found him with a stolen gun.
The court’s ruling clears the way for the execution of Martin Edward Grossman, who is scheduled to die by lethal injection at 6 p.m. at Florida State Prison. He was convicted of first-degree murder in the death of 26-year-old Margaret “Peggy” Park, who was killed on Dec. 13, 1984.
Authorities said Grossman beat Park with a flashlight and shot her in the back of her head after she found the then-19-year-old and 17-year-old Thayne Taylor with a stolen handgun while she was patrolling a wooded area in Pinellas County. Grossman, who was on probation for a burglary, asked Park to not turn him in, but she radioed the sheriff’s office.
Park managed to fire a wild shot with her gun and kick Taylor in the groin, but Grossman wrestled away the gun and fired a shot into the back of Park’s head.
Two weeks later, authorities arrested Grossman and Taylor.
Grossman was convicted in October 1985 and the jury recommended a death sentence. Taylor was convicted of third-degree murder.
A coalition of Orthodox Jewish groups had appealed for clemency on Grossman’s behalf.
“He has conducted himself as a model prisoner since his incarceration some 25 years ago and has shown profound remorse and regret for his actions,” the groups, including the National Council of Young Israel, Agudath Israel of America and the Orthodox Union, said in a statement. Grossman, they argued, should “be permitted to serve his debt to society by serving the rest of his life in prison.”
Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi Yona Metzger, citing “new evidence,” also wrote to Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, according to a letter publicized by Yeshiva World News.
“I am convinced that there is sufficient cause to at least delay this execution until all evidence and legal arguments are presented,” he wrote.
With Grossman sitting on death row for decades, the groups sprung into action on January 12, when Crist signed Grossman’s death warrant.
So far, more than 24,000 people have signed an online petition on behalf of Grossman, and a Web site, www.savemartingrossman.com, includes medical reports outlining his low IQ and unspecified mental problems, as well as letters from family members, death penalty opponents and even Holocaust survivor and Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel, who wrote, “These days, death is winning too many battles and life imprisonment is a harsh enough punishment.”
Rabbi Menachem Katz of the Aleph Institute, who has counseled Grossman for 15 years, said the inmate is “trying to be as strong as possible. He takes full responsibility for his behavior and actions. He has unbelievable amounts of remorse and he believes in God and hopes for life. He’s praying for a miracle.”
so many ppl kill each other who arent put in prison and even those who are dont get tortrure like that and stay 20 yrs or so in prison to get killed? its reacism i tell you who else would torture somone who did something bad but its so far in the past and ppl like that dont get killed? explain everyone seeing this plz. i dont understand one bit!
I see your IQ isn’t the highest. Let me ask you: is bashing someone with a flashlight 30 times, and shooting her in the head an accident?? How can you compare the two?
Yes, I surely hope Crist has nightmares knowing that he was responsable for this death.
And may he never know of peace .
I hope that something terrible befalls him.
you are both right he killed he shouldnt live but he is a jew & jews watch out for each other regrdless of thier deeds but still he killed and doesn’t deserve living
Baruch Dayan HaEmes
Then let the other goyim murderers be killed also. It’s only fair.
HE WAS ALREADY KILLED
oy!hashem yishmore ve yatzil.
this world is corrupt!they excute somone for killing one police
and when there is a terrorist who kills at leat 20 they do NOTHING!
ANTISEMITES THEY ARE.
i also tried but the msg box is b”h full
by the way the murderer, yemach shemo, of Pessa Leah Lapine,AH, is in prison for life I hope for life he could be elgible for parole, His crime was the most heineous ever and had a long record of crime but had a previous sentence commuted. I guess the system is not fair Iam usually pro death sentence , but why martin should die but not the killer of Pessa Leah, support the torah for pessa leah, moshiach now
I was saying the same thing to people.!
to leave a message but , BH the message box is full!
Hashem should help every single yid who is suffering ad mosai!!!
isnt there a law against the death penalty if the person is not in complete control of their actions?
all those hoe want him to get killd chek you’re yicus b/c if you were jewish you would have racmonus
He was 19!!!!
A little siechel is acceptable
what was he thinking
to all those asking…….If heaven forbid, someone killed a jew, im just wondering if everyone will have the same rachmanus on the murderer, and scream that he shouldnt get the death penalty. Now, all of a sudden, that the murderer is a yid, why is there a difference that hes a jew? Someone who takes a life, should not be sided with because of his good behavior.
belongs in the feudal system 100s of years ago.
I understand if he did a brutal cold blooded murder that you see in the movies…….. I’d understand eye for an eye.
But let him just rot in jail.
then you should kill the 50,000+ people on us prison for killing.
start killing one after another!!
Call 850-488-4441, and leave a message after the spanish message. Ask that the governor grant clemency to Martin Grossman.
We can make a diffrence iy”h.
To #10: The killing of Margaret “Peggy” Park, a Florida wildlife officer, was certainly a terrible tragedy. My heart reaches out to the family–terrible, a horror. Ms. Parks also represented ‘law and order,’ which is critical for any civilized society. This is one of the 7 Noahide Laws, to establish laws and courts, and persons to uphold them (Every non-Jew must uphold law and order in his/her country. Jews as well.) We have the expression that if one takes one human life unjustifiably it’s like murdering the whole world. According to ‘The Divine Code’ (‘Sheva Mitzvoth HaShem’) by Rabbi Moshe… Read more »
Today is the 18th yahrzeit of Mrs. LaPine who was murdered on the second of Adar in Crown Heights.
What’s you’re problem ?!?
We’re talking about a jewish neshama !
Yes , he served his time , over 25 years and now we’re asking that he serve the rest behind bars , not C”V to be murdered !
A little rachmanus !!!
The Friediker Rebbe said that at his sheva brochos Reb Michel Zlotchover’s nigun of yearning was sung by Reb Yacov Mordechai and Reb Asher Grossman. The Rebbe Rashab said that the Baal Shem Tov called this nigun the nugun that arouses great mercy Above. The Baal Shem Tov said he will hear this nigun regardless of what Heavenly chamber he may be in and arouse great mercy on behalf of the baalei teshuva who sing this nigun .To hear this nigun, call 718-953-6100, press 2, then 1 then 9, then 4.
The Rebbe said increase on simcha shel mitzva & with hashems help we’ll see miracles.
I think tha t the law if for everyone the same. I so sori for him, but he has to talk to H.shem, for what he did. If you are not agree change the law of your country. MICHAEL from ARGENTINA
Where is your compassion. Jewish people are supposed to have Rachmonos on one another.
those goym are so antishemin!!! as if 25 years in prison is not enough, ans as if his family are gonna be consoladed after his death chas veshalom, they r so brutal and happy to actually see someone beiig killed. imach shmam!!!
what , what do they expect from someone who is being sitiing in prision fors so many years to be like a normal person!!!! we need a miracle and salvation from hashem now!!!!! moshiach now!!!!!!!!!!!!
to #11 i agree that a jew is a jew and he should live but ur example is all wrong
to #10- we are not in the times of moshiach that we get to decide who should live or die
are you jewish???? in galus there is not bais din and now death penelty
A Jew is a Jew and a human is a human we all deserve to live in that case if someone god forbid runs over and kills someone accidentally he should die? That’s what your saying
if he killed someone, he doesnt deserve to live. it doesnt matter how well behaved he is..
of course the family of the deceased would think that, but the truth is, that he was young, intoxicated and on drugs, and has been a model prisoner ever since. Besides, if he has mental or cognitive delays, then it is not correct to do this.
You cannot compare the two. Whereas Gilad Shalit does not have a death warrant against him, Martin Grossman does. Gilad is being held as a bargaining chip by the Palestinians, and he may be released, IYH, if the Israeli government does something. Martin Grossman will be killed today, c’v, if we don’t make efforts to stop it.
https://fpc.state.fl.us/ExecutiveClemencyContact.htm
http://dogood.aish.com/gilad/
ppl have done worse crimes in the field of killing, and have not gotten punished with the death penalty. So why should he get the death penalty?!
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/2/save-martin-grossman
HASHEM YIRACHEIM!
& whomever else this may concern: is there a letter w/clear instrutions from rabonei chabad as to what & how much should/must be done by all of us in this matter???
-if yes please PUBLICIZE immediately! -as many people are unclear on the above.