Family of Gandy Blvd. murder victim pleaded with Gov. DeSantis to sign death warrant
Daughters seek execution in 1985 Gandy murder
Nearly forty years after a man was sentenced to death for a killing along Gandy Blvd., daughters of the victim are begging the governor to finally sign a death warrant. FOX 13's Evan Axelbank reports.
TAMPA, Fla. - Nearly forty years after a man was sentenced to death for a killing along Gandy Blvd., daughters of the victim are begging the governor to finally sign a death warrant.
Mark Davis was convicted of killing 54-year-old Orville Landis after helping him move into an apartment.
Davis was homeless and living in the parking lot.
A grieving family
Dig deeper:
Katherine Hansbrough still has the paper she read from when she told the judge what Davis had taken from her family.
"By viewing those pictures, we saw the brutality that was dealt to my father," Hansbrough said to the judge.
She was 32, and her sister, Karole was 22, when it happened.
"His intention was to retire here," said Karole Landis.
NASA analyst murder
What we know:
After seeing Landis — who was a retired analyst for NASA — with $500 cash, Davis had said to others that day that he planned to "rip him off and do him in."
"This was premeditated, and it was a horrific, horrendous, brutal murder,"
The jury voted 8-4 to sentence him to death.
With appeals to the Florida and US Supreme Court already denied, they argue that it's time for the governor to carry out the sentence.
"All we want is for this to end," said Hansbrough. "We just want justice. We want closure."
Execution process clearing
The backstory:
In recent weeks, they've seen the governor sign death warrants for several who committed their crimes in the 80s, including Dominick Occhicone of Pasco County, and James Duckett of Lake County.
One whose death warrant was just signed, committed his crime just twenty years ago.
"When the Supreme court says execution is ready, he signs the death warrant, and he makes sure these executions occur," said legal analyst Anthony Rickman. "And what's happening now is he is clearing up the backlog. He really can't do much to make the process go faster on the front end."
Orville's family has written to this governor, and previous ones, several times.
In 2025, they got a response from the victims' rights coordinator who said, "Please know that i am placing this information into the inmate’s file for review and consideration."
Victims seek justice
What's next:
They are hoping their case will be not just high on the list, but at the top.
"Are you hearing and listening to those of us that are victims that have waited so very long?" said Landis. "And obviously he is, because he is signing the death warrants. I will just ask that he hurry up."
There are 239 on death row, the longest since 1971.
They don't want this to linger, until it's up to Orville's 13 grandkids to see it through.
Gov. DeSantis has said previously that he does not relish quickening the pace of executions, but has also said it is critical to act once all appeals have been exhausted.
An attorney for Mark Davis did not immediately respond to our request for comment.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from victim's family testimony provided by Katherine Hansbrough and Karole Landis, court records from the Supreme Court of Florida, statements from legal analyst Anthony Rickman, and official state death row records.