Summary
Jesse Guardado, 64, was sentenced to death in Florida for the 2004 murder of Jackie Malone, 75, in Walton County. Malone had helped him with housing and work after his release from prison. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to death in 2005.
His execution by lethal injection is scheduled for Thursday 5 November 2026 at 6:00 pm at Florida State Prison. If it goes ahead, it would be Florida's 19th execution of 2026, equalling the state's record of 19 set in 2025.
The crime
Guardado had previously rented homes from Jackie Malone and had been a guest in her house. According to court records, on 13 September 2004 he went to her home in Walton County, Florida, intending to get money to continue a cocaine binge.
When Malone let him in, he attacked her with a metal bar and a kitchen knife, killing her. He took her purse, jewellery box, briefcase and mobile phone.
Guardado was indicted for first-degree murder and robbery with a weapon. He pleaded guilty to both charges without a plea agreement. He had previous convictions for robbery with a weapon in Orange and Seminole counties.
Legal history
- 13 September 2004Jackie Malone killed at her home in Walton County
- 2005Pleads guilty to first-degree murder and robbery with a weapon, without a plea agreement
- 15 September 2005Jury unanimously recommends a death sentence
- 13 October 2005Sentenced to death
- June 2007Florida Supreme Court upholds the conviction and death sentence
- 2017Florida Supreme Court rejects his claim under changes to Florida's death sentencing law, noting the jury's recommendation was unanimous
- 202411th Circuit Court of Appeals rejects his federal appeal
- 5 October 2026Governor Ron DeSantis signs a death warrant, setting execution for 5 November 2026 at 6:00 pm
Current status
The execution is scheduled for Thursday 5 November 2026 at 6:00 pm Eastern time at Florida State Prison.
In the death warrant, Governor DeSantis stated that executive clemency had been considered and found inappropriate. Guardado has filed a challenge in federal court to Florida's lethal injection protocol, and further legal challenges may be filed before the execution date.
His was the 20th death warrant Governor DeSantis signed in 2026, but another warrant was later withdrawn, so if carried out, Guardado's execution would be Florida's 19th of the year. Florida carried out 19 executions in 2025, its highest annual total since executions resumed in 1976.
Campaigners asking for clemency say Guardado was struggling with a severe crack cocaine addiction at the time, that he voluntarily confessed and cooperated with investigators, and that he pleaded guilty in the hope of sparing Jackie Malone's loved ones a lengthy legal process.
Sources
- WFLA: DeSantis signs death warrant; execution set for 5 November at 6 pm
- WUSF: DeSantis signs warrant for record 20th execution this year
- WJHG / WCTV: Florida continues to lead the nation in executions
- Tracking Florida's Death Penalty: warrant and legal history
- Hoodline: Florida nears record execution pace
- US Supreme Court docket: Florida Supreme Court opinion, 2017 (PDF)