Bio

David J. Pittman was born on December 10, 1961. He grew up in Florida. Pittman was married to Marie Knowles. They had some problems in their marriage. Marie decided to file for divorce. Pittman did not want the divorce and threatened to harm Marie and her family. 

Murder Story

On May 15, 1990, David J. Pittman committed the murders of three people: Clarence Knowles, Barbara Knowles, and Bonnie Knowles. These individuals were related to Pittman through his wife, Marie, who was seeking a divorce from him. During the divorce process, Pittman had made threats against Marie and her family.

In the early hours of that morning, witnesses called the fire department after seeing the Knowles' home on fire. Investigators later found that the phone line had been cut, and the fire had been intentionally set. Pittman was also reported to have stolen Bonnie Knowles' car.

Once firefighters arrived, the bodies of Clarence, Barbara, and Bonnie were discovered inside the house. They had all died from multiple stab wounds, which caused massive bleeding. Bonnie Knowles had also been killed by having her throat slit.

Witnesses reported seeing a car similar to Bonnie's in a ditch near the Knowles' home around the time of the fire. One witness noted that he saw a truck belonging to Pittman parked nearby. This person later saw a man running away from the burning car and identified him as Pittman when shown a photo lineup.

Later, an informant in jail testified that Pittman had confessed to the murders. Following these events, Pittman was charged with multiple counts of first-degree murder, arson, burglary, and grand theft.

On April 19, 1991, a jury found him guilty on all counts except for one charge of burglary. He was sentenced to death for the murders and received additional sentences for arson and grand theft.

Pittman appealed his conviction and argued various points, but the court rejected his claims. His sentencing was upheld, and none of his appeals changed the outcome of the case.

David J. Pittman was executed by lethal injection in Florida on September 17, 2025. It was the state’s 12th execution of the year, the highest annual total since executions resumed in 1976.