<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0Cv0yX_1GplsXXZ00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0Cv0yX_1GplsXXZ00" width="1000" height="667" ><figcaption>A protestor holds a sign opposing the death penalty at the Florida State Prison, Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026, in Raiford, Fla. Photo by Keira Simone | The Independent Florida Alligator</figcaption></figure>The state of Florida executed 64-year-old Jesse Guardado at 6:13 p.m. Thursday by lethal injection. He was convicted of the 2004 murder of Jackie Malone, a 75-year-old community activist. His last words were “I would like once again to apologize for the pain and suffering I have caused to the family and my own family as well,” according to witnesses of the execution. Guardado’s execution is the 19th in Florida this year, tying the record the state set last year. Florida is scheduled to break its record when it executes Thomas Mitchell Overton Nov. 19. Thursday marks the 47th execution carried out under Gov. Ron DeSantis and the 144th since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976. The crimeOn Sept. 13, 2004, then-42-year-old Guardado murdered Jackie Malone in her DeFuniak Springs home. Prior to the murder, Guardado faced two 20-year prison sentences for armed robbery convictions, according to court documents. Because they were concurrent sentences, Guardado only faced up to 20 total years in prison.In 2003, he was released on parole. If he had stayed out of legal trouble and followed his restrictions, he would have been free from the system by 2014. Malone had helped Guardado when he was released from prison. She helped him find a job, rented properties to him and let him stay in her home a few nights, according to court documents. On the day of the murder, Guardado tried to rob a grocery store to pay for cocaine and repairs to his truck. A store employee intervened, and the robbery was unsuccessful. Still in need of money, he decided to rob Malone, who lived in a rural area. Guardado drove to her home, armed with a metal breaker bar and kitchen knife. He knocked on the front door until Malone woke up and opened it. He told her he needed to use the phone, and Malone let him inside. Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inboxWhen she turned her back, Guardado grabbed the breaker bar hidden in his pants and hit her in the head multiple times. Malone fell to the floor. Guardado then stabbed her several times, including in her heart, and slit her throat. After the attack, he went into her bedroom and stole her jewelry box, briefcase, purse and phone. The punishmentGuardado waived the right to a lawyer and pleaded guilty to first-degree murder. In 2005, a jury unanimously recommended the death sentence. Guardado appealed the sentence, saying it was unconstitutional. The U.S. Supreme Court denied his appeal in 2008. By 2017, Guardado had twice challenged his conviction and been denied. In 2022, he challenged the legality of his imprisonment, saying he experienced trauma throughout his life and struggled with substance abuse at the time of the murder. Guardado had attended the Dozier School for Boys, a state-run juvenile reform school in Marianna, where he said he was subjected to physical and sexual abuse. DeSantis signed Guardado’s death warrant Oct. 5. The Florida Supreme Court denied his final appeal Oct. 29. The day of the executionPeople throughout the state traveled to Florida State Prison to protest Thursday’s execution. Members of Our Lady of Lourdes Church, who traveled from Daytona Beach, and Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty were among those in attendance. Every execution, they set up a bell, and protesters ring it in the minutes before the execution starts. The Rev. Fred Ruse, a retired priest, said the prisoners can hear it. He added the bell is a unique part of the worship because it helps the protesters connect with the prisoners.“We let them know, we let Jesse know, he is not alone,” Ruse said.Grace Hanna, the executive director of FADP, made a speech after Guardado’s lethal injection started. “I think it’s a hard night to be on death row in Florida right now, hearing the news from California,” she said. Earlier in the day, California Gov. Gavin Newsom changed the sentences of the state’s 548 death row inmates to life without parole. “Of course everyone is excited,” she said. “And, here, we know that this is continuing at least through the end of the year.”DeSantis’ last day in office is Jan. 5, 2027. Byron Donalds, who will take office after winning the election Tuesday, has said he supports the death penalty. There were no death penalty supporters at the protest. Malone’s son, Patrick Malone, wore a clerical collar and spoke during the press conference that followed the execution. “There are those who engage to decry the death penalty,” he said. “While that is a choice, do such people ever think about what happened to the victim or consider the unending aftermath the victim’s family endures and relives every time that terrible event comes up?”Contact Teia Williams at twilliams@alligator.org. Follow her on X @teia_williams.Support your local paperThe Independent Florida Alligator has been independent of the university since 1971, your donation today could help #SaveStudentNewsrooms. Please consider giving today. Teia WilliamsTeia Williams is a journalism senior at UF and the Fall 2026 criminal justice reporter. This is her fourth semester with The Alligator. If she isn't writing an article, you can find her at a concert, reading a book or somewhere soaking up the sun. </div></body>

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The state of Florida executed 64-year-old Jesse Guardado at 6:13 p.m. Thursday by lethal injection. He was convicted of the 2004 murder of Jackie Malone, a 75-year-old community activist. His last words were “I would like once again to apologize for the pain and suffering I have caused to the...

Florida man executed for 2004 Walton County murder, ties state record

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The state of Florida executed 64-year-old Jesse Guardado at 6:13 p.m. Thursday by lethal injection. He was convicted of the 2004 murder of Jackie Malone, a

Florida man executed for 2004 Walton County murder, ties state record

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