Podcast Summary:

Podcast: Amy Robach & T.J. Holmes Present
Episode: “When We Wake Up, It Will Be The First Time In Nearly 37 Years That We Don’t Have To Worry About Another Appeal Being Filed”
Date: December 10, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode centers on the surge in executions in the United States, focusing primarily on three major headlines: the execution of Mark Allen Geralds in Florida, the impending execution of Harold Wayne Nichols in Tennessee, and the Supreme Court's review of a pivotal Alabama case regarding intellectual disability and the death penalty. Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes discuss the impact of delayed executions on victims' families, the evolving legal landscape around capital punishment, and the complexities surrounding appeals and clemency.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Recent Florida Execution: Mark Allen Geralds

(Segment Begins ~02:49)

• Event Recap:

  • Mark Allen Geralds, 58, was executed by lethal injection in Florida on December 9, 2025, for the 1989 murder of Tressa Pettibone.
  • Witnesses described Geralds taking "about a dozen deep breaths," with his "body quivered and twitched" before he was still and pronounced dead at 6:15 pm. (Amy Robach, 03:31)

• His Last Words:

  • Geralds' final statement addressed an unnamed individual:

    “I’m sorry that I missed you. I loved you every day.”
    Observers were puzzled, as the addressee was unclear.
    (Amy Robach, 04:15)

  • The family of the victim, Tressa Pettibone, attended in notable numbers (eight relatives) and released a striking statement afterward:

    “Tomorrow, when we wake up, it will be the first time in nearly 37 years that we don't have to worry about another appeal being filed or another law changing that could potentially thwart the justice we have been fighting so hard for so long.”
    (Amy Robach quoting Pettibone Family, 07:03)

• Family Attitudes and Legal Commentary:

  • Unlike many other cases where families oppose executions, the Pettibone family strongly supported it.
  • The execution occurred nearly 37 years after the crime, indicating the long, arduous appeals process common in death penalty cases.
  • T.J. Holmes reflects:

    "Why do you have to sit and wait 30 something years... for somebody to be executed? Why are you having to deal with another appeal... once again?"
    (T.J. Holmes, 05:35)

• Florida's Execution Pace:

  • Florida executed 18 people in 2025 (previous record was 8), reflecting aggressive moves under Governor Ron DeSantis, bolstered by broader access to execution drugs.

    “Florida ain’t messing around.”
    (T.J. Holmes, 07:03)

2. Tennessee Execution: Harold Wayne Nichols

(Segment Begins ~08:37)

• Case Background:

  • Nichols, 64, confessed to the 1988 rape and murder of Karen Pulley and several other assaults.
  • Despite expressing remorse, Nichols is fighting his execution.
  • Governor Bill Lee announced he would not intervene.

• Clemency Plea:

  • Nichols’ attorneys argue that, since he pleaded guilty and was remorseful, his life should be spared—the first such case in Tennessee since the death penalty's 1978 reinstatement.

    “Nichols would be the first person in... Tennessee to be executed for a crime that he pleaded guilty to since... 1978.”
    (Amy Robach, 11:24)

  • T.J. calls out the dilemma:

    “Should he just be life in prison because he confessed?... Then everybody... would just say, ‘You know what, I'ma plea guilty and take the death penalty off the table?’”
    (T.J. Holmes, 09:54)

• Philosophical and Logistical Reflections:

  • The hosts discuss the potential for cost and time savings if more confessions led to life sentences without parole rather than automatic capital trials and appeals.

    “Wouldn't it be interesting if that was potentially... considered... Spare us the time and money of a trial, we’ll consider giving you life in prison without... parole.”
    (Amy Robach, 10:28)

3. Supreme Court Case: Intellectual Disability and the Death Penalty (Alabama)

(Segment Begins ~12:05 and resumes at 17:08)

• Central Issue:

  • The Supreme Court is hearing a case about whether a man (Joseph Smith) should be executed despite lower courts vacating his death sentence on grounds of intellectual disability.
  • Lower courts and mental health professionals argue that a person’s intellectual capacity can't be determined solely by an IQ score.

    “One IQ test or even multiple IQ tests alone should not determine whether or not somebody is mentally incapable or has a mental disability that's severe enough that they shouldn't be executed.”
    (Amy Robach, 17:53)

  • Supreme Court precedent (since 2002) generally uses a cutoff of 70, but the man at issue tested between 72 and 78.

• Significance:

  • The outcome may affect hundreds of cases nationally; already, 142 sentences have been vacated since 2002 due to intellectual disability findings.

    “This case... is going to affect potentially so many other cases...”
    (Amy Robach, 21:13)

• Alabama’s Perspective:

  • Alabama argues Smith was not intellectually disabled and that “the Eighth Amendment does not override the death sentence he earned for murdering Dirk Van Dam.” The prosecution highlights the brutality of the crime.

• Robach and Holmes Reflect:

  • T.J.:

    “The idea that we are fighting so desperately to kill a guy is... something.”
    (T.J. Holmes, 22:34)

  • Amy:

    “If they rule in any other way, it's going to affect... hundreds of cases...”
    (Amy Robach, 21:13)

4. The Broader Landscape

Year in Review and What’s Ahead

• Record Execution Pace: With 45-46 executions (as of recording) in the U.S., 2025 shapes up to be one of the busiest death penalty years in a decade.
• Upcoming: Florida is scheduled to hit 19 executions by year’s end, with the Tennessee case still pending Supreme Court review.

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• Victim's Family Statement After 37 Years Awaiting Justice:

  “Tomorrow... it will be the first time in nearly 37 years that we don't have to worry about another appeal being filed or another law changing that could potentially thwart the justice we have been fighting so hard for so long.”
  (Pettibone Family Statement, read by Amy Robach at 07:03)

• On the Lengthy Death Penalty Process:

  “Why do you have to sit and wait 30 something years, years for somebody to be executed? ... Why are you having to deal with another appeal?”
  (T.J. Holmes, 05:35)

• On Florida’s Execution Record:

  “Florida ain’t messing around… This is their 18th of the year. And... the record before this was 8.”
  (T.J. Holmes, 06:30)

• On Executing the Intellectually Disabled:

  “One IQ test or even multiple IQ tests alone should not determine whether or not somebody is... mentally incapable... that they shouldn't be executed for their crime.”
  (Amy Robach, 17:53)

• Reflection on the System's Morality:

  “The idea that we are fighting so desperately to kill a guy is... something.”
  (T.J. Holmes, 22:34)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Florida Execution Recap & Family Statement: 02:49 – 07:33
• Discussion on Death Row Appeals/Process: 05:16 – 08:37
• Tennessee Execution & Plea Comparisons: 08:37 – 12:05
• Supreme Court (Alabama/Intellectual Disability) Explained: 17:08 – 21:13
• Key Quotes and Philosophical Takeaways: Scattered throughout; see specific times above.
• Year-in-Review & Upcoming Executions: 22:34 – 23:12

Conclusion

The episode thoughtfully interrogates the emotional, legal, and practical intricacies of capital punishment in America today. Listeners are invited to consider not only the facts of individual cases, but the broader human toll of protracted legal processes—on inmates, victims’ families, and society at large. With a record number of executions and consequential court battles underway, Amy and T.J. underscore the gravity of these moments and the lingering questions they pose for American justice.