Camilla Jessen
Man who spent years on death row reveals haunting thing inmates experienced during execution.
After three years facing execution in Florida’s notorious death row, Herman Lindsey says he witnessed something no one could explain.
Three Years on Death Row
Herman Lindsey wasn’t supposed to walk free.
Accused of a 1994 pawnshop murder and sentenced to death in 2006, the Florida father of seven spent three years on death row—waiting for the day his life would be taken by the state.
Not Enough Evidence
But in 2009, the Florida Supreme Court overturned his conviction, ruling that prosecutors had failed to present any evidence placing him at the scene.
With no forensic proof, no eyewitnesses, and no clear motive, Lindsey was released.
What he carried with him, however, was something more haunting than his wrongful sentence.
The “Spirit” of the Execution Hall
In an interview with The Daily Mail, Lindsey described a deeply unsettling ritual that, according to him and others, played out every time someone was executed at Florida State Prison.
“On the night of someone being executed, you will see a spirit walk down the hallway,” Lindsey claimed.
Vision Shared with Multiple Inmates
He insists it wasn’t just paranoia or imagination.
The “apparition” was widely acknowledged among death row inmates, many of whom claimed to see the same figure moving silently past their cells on execution nights.
“You can’t be hallucinating when you got 12 other people seeing the same thing that you’re seeing. That is virtually impossible, and that’s what made me believe in spirits.”
Unknown Origins
Lindsey says the “spirit” never stopped at anyone’s cell but simply walked the corridor, its origins unknown.
The belief among inmates is that it could be the ghost of someone previously executed, doomed to walk the prison halls on the nights others are put to death.
Not Just a Ghost Story
Florida State Prison has long been one of the most active execution facilities in the U.S. — and in 2025, the state leads the country in executions carried out.
At least three more are scheduled in the coming month.
According to Newsner, Lindsey’s story can be seen as a window into the psychological toll of death row. Even for those who maintain their innocence, the slow march toward a scheduled death is a unique kind of suffering.
From Inmate to Criminal Justice Reform Advocate
The Florida native now works as an advocate for criminal justice reform, sharing his experience with lawmakers, students, and faith groups in hopes of shedding light on a system he says is deeply flawed and often rushed.
“It Was a Life Lesson”
Despite the trauma, Lindsey reflects on his time behind bars as deeply transformative.
“Being around some of those guys was some of the greatest experience I ever had,” he said. “It actually taught me a lot of things about life.”
He described death row as one of the few places where division faded between races, religions, and ideologies.
“The guys on there go through problems. It’s just different,” he said. “It was life changing. Death row was traumatizing. But it taught me the importance of human dignity, even in the darkest places.”
