Jerry White was born on February 12, 1948, in Quincy, Florida. His early life was shaped by poverty, violence, and instability. He never knew his biological father, and his stepfather was murdered when Jerry was still a child. Raised by his mother, Mabel Pinkins, who worked long hours as a maid, White experienced much of his childhood alone and unsupervised.

At age 14, he was arrested for burglary and sent to a reform school in Marianna, Florida, where he reported suffering beatings. The experience deeply affected him. After his release, his mother noted a drastic change when he became quiet, withdrawn, and emotionally distant. Not long after, he dropped out of school and began using alcohol and heroin. By the time he reached adulthood, White was heavily addicted and frequently in trouble with the law.

His rap sheet grew quickly. Over the years, White was convicted of nine felony offenses, including attempted murder, robbery, larceny, and burglary. In 1977, he was sentenced to three years in prison for a string of robberies and was released in March 1980.

On the morning of March 8, 1981, Jerry White entered Alexander's Grocery Store in Taft, Florida, with the intent to rob it. Inside the store were its 53-year-old owner, Alex Alexander, and a customer, James A. Melson, aged 34. White herded the two men to the back of the store and into a bathroom, where he shot both of them, Melson was hit twice, once in the arm and once fatally in the head. Alexander was shot in the spine, leaving him critically injured.

Shortly after the shooting, another man and his 12-year-old daughter walked into the store. White tried to force them into a freezer. When they resisted, he attempted to shoot them both at close range, but his gun misfired. They escaped and alerted a nearby police officer.

Police found White less than an hour later, lying in a wooded area with $388 in cash, the stolen money from the store, in his pockets. He had sustained two gunshot wounds, one to the groin and one to his left thigh. Investigators believed White accidentally shot himself while trying to tuck the gun into his waistband.

Meanwhile, both Melson and Alexander were rushed to Orlando Regional Medical Center. Melson was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. Alexander survived but was paralyzed from the neck down, unable to speak for the remainder of his life. He remained in this state until his death in September 1985 from heart failure and other complications tied to his injuries.

White was indicted for first-degree murder and armed robbery, with his trial beginning on April 21, 1982. He was tried by an all-white jury, as all Black jurors were struck from the jury pool. Witnesses, including the father and daughter who had escaped, testified against him, identifying him as the shooter.

White claimed he had asked Alexander to make change for a $500 bill and accused the store owner of shortchanging him. He said the situation escalated when he pulled a pistol to intimidate Alexander, leading to a struggle during which the gun accidentally discharged. However, forensic evidence showed that the victims were shot at point-blank range from behind—clearly execution-style.

The jury took just 40 minutes to return a guilty verdict. Eleven out of twelve jurors voted for the death penalty, which was handed down on May 4, 1982, by Judge R. James Stroker, who cited White’s “callous disregard for human life.” He also received a life sentence for the robbery.

White's legal journey after conviction was long and fraught with controversy. His original lawyer, Emmett Moran, was later accused of being incompetent, intoxicated, and racist. Witnesses, including White’s relatives, claimed Moran smelled of alcohol during the trial, and the judge criticized him for being unprepared. Moran denied the accusations, stating his behavior was due to undiagnosed diabetes.

New attorney Dewey Villareal argued that White’s intoxication at the time of the crime was not properly used as a mitigating factor. He also cited White’s IQ score of 72, suggesting cognitive limitations. Yet, none of these arguments changed the outcome, appeals were repeatedly denied.

After two prior death warrants, Governor Lawton Chiles signed a final one in 1995, setting December 4, 1995, as White’s execution date. That morning, White received his last meal: grilled round steak, French fries, coleslaw, toast, and orange juice.

At 12:05 p.m., White entered Florida’s electric chair. His final statement was a call to faith: “I wish that all the people who can hear my voice will turn to the Lord Jesus Christ as I have.”

Moments after the electricity was applied, witnesses said White let out a muffled scream that lasted several seconds. The current was applied for approximately one minute. He was pronounced dead at 12:19 p.m. at the age of 47.