In 1963, Sandra, a 17-year-old high school student, gave birth to a baby boy in Queens, New York. She was unmarried and from a middle-class family with strong church ties. Her parents forced her to give the child up for adoption, allegedly so that he would have a better life.
For years, Sandra didn't think about her son. She graduated high school, went to college, got married, and built a successful career in international banking. However, as she approached her 30th birthday in 1975, she began wondering what had happened to her child.
Sandra eventually tracked down her son, Malik, who was now on death row in Florida for a murder he committed at the age of 17. Her search led her to learn about his troubled past and how it may have contributed to his actions.
Malik's adoptive father testified that he and his wife told their adopted son that he was adopted because of a book recommended by the adoption agency. However, this revelation had devastating effects on Malik, who struggled emotionally from an early age. He was beaten with hands, brooms, and belts as punishment.
Sandra visited her son before his execution, but she cancelled at the last minute due to health issues. Her nieces and nephews have all found success and happiness, which makes it difficult for Sandra to accept that her own son's life will be cut short by the state.
Malik spent decades studying his faith, mentoring younger men on death row, mediating conflicts, and maintaining a spotless disciplinary record. He had formed loving relationships with both biological and adopted families.
The execution took place on November 20, 2025, at 6 p.m. ET. Malik's time of death was 6:12 p.m. He was the 44th person executed in the United States that year and the 17th in Florida.
Sandra has been grappling with the question of why her son's life turned out the way it did. She fears that knowing the details will be painful, but she may never have closure without this information.
The execution raises questions about the effectiveness of the death penalty and whether it can deter crime. Some argue that it does, while others believe that it is a form of state-sponsored violence that fails to address the root causes of violent behavior.
For years, Sandra didn't think about her son. She graduated high school, went to college, got married, and built a successful career in international banking. However, as she approached her 30th birthday in 1975, she began wondering what had happened to her child.
Sandra eventually tracked down her son, Malik, who was now on death row in Florida for a murder he committed at the age of 17. Her search led her to learn about his troubled past and how it may have contributed to his actions.
Malik's adoptive father testified that he and his wife told their adopted son that he was adopted because of a book recommended by the adoption agency. However, this revelation had devastating effects on Malik, who struggled emotionally from an early age. He was beaten with hands, brooms, and belts as punishment.
Sandra visited her son before his execution, but she cancelled at the last minute due to health issues. Her nieces and nephews have all found success and happiness, which makes it difficult for Sandra to accept that her own son's life will be cut short by the state.
Malik spent decades studying his faith, mentoring younger men on death row, mediating conflicts, and maintaining a spotless disciplinary record. He had formed loving relationships with both biological and adopted families.
The execution took place on November 20, 2025, at 6 p.m. ET. Malik's time of death was 6:12 p.m. He was the 44th person executed in the United States that year and the 17th in Florida.
Sandra has been grappling with the question of why her son's life turned out the way it did. She fears that knowing the details will be painful, but she may never have closure without this information.
The execution raises questions about the effectiveness of the death penalty and whether it can deter crime. Some argue that it does, while others believe that it is a form of state-sponsored violence that fails to address the root causes of violent behavior.
She was just a teenager when her parents forced her to give up her kid, and now he's on death row for committing a crime at 17... it's just so sad 
And what's crazy is that her biological nieces and nephews all turned out okay but Malik's life took a totally different turn 
The fact that he was punished harshly by his adoptive parents and then went on to study his faith and try to help others is just amazing 
But the death penalty... it's like, does it really deter crime or are we just killing people for the sake of killing them? 
I don't have all the answers, but one thing's for sure, this story needs more attention and we need to be talking about it more 
what if this happens to more people out there? adoption system is broken, plain and simple. these families need counseling and support, not just some book recommended by an agency 
how many other maliks are out there struggling with their identity and upbringing? and what about those nieces and nephews who found success? doesn't that make it even harder for sandra to accept her son's fate? 6:12 pm on nov 20, 2025... my heart is heavy 
... like sandra's whole life she thought her son was doing okay, but all along he was struggling and hurting from being told he was adopted for reasons he didn't understand... and now he's gone 
... what are your thoughts on the death penalty tho? does it ever work?
. While some argue that it serves as a deterrent to crime, I'd posit that its effectiveness is dubious at best 
.
. it just feels like the system failed him at every turn. i guess we'll never know for sure why his life turned out the way it did, but it's def makin me think about how important it is to support each other and lift each other up 
