Florida Man Executed After Decades-Long Sentence; Governor Accelerates Death Penalty Pace

A 77-year-old Florida inmate was put to death on Tuesday following a three-drug lethal injection procedure, marking the Sunshine State's eighteenth execution of the year under Republican Governor Ron DeSantis. The execution concluded a long legal battle for William Reaves, who was convicted of first-degree murder in connection with the 1986 shooting death of Indian River County sheriff's deputy Richard Raczkoski.

Reaves was pronounced dead at 6:12 p.m. at Florida State Prison near Starke after receiving a three-drug injection. According to court records, the execution occurred shortly after the warden administered the final dose. Approximately thirty seconds after the injection began, Reaves took several deep breaths before stopping movement entirely. A medic checked for signs of life, and Reaves was declared deceased roughly one minute later.

The victim, Deputy Richard Raczkoski, was shot four times by Reaves during an altercation on September 23, 1986. According to investigators, Raczkoski attempted to flee the scene but was subdued by Reaves, who regained control of a firearm that had fallen from his pants during their confrontation. Raczkoski died from his wounds later that same day.

Governor DeSantis has overseen an accelerated pace of capital punishment in Florida, with the state carrying out more than half of the nation's total executions through July. Last year alone, DeSantis presided over a state record eighteen executions—the highest number of any Florida governor since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976—and accounted for approximately forty percent of the United States' total of forty-seven executions for the calendar year.

This execution represents Reaves being the eighth Florida prisoner over age seventy to be put to death this year. His attorneys challenged the state's three-drug lethal injection protocol, arguing that jurors who recommended the death penalty were never informed that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs had rated the Army veteran as completely disabled due to post-traumatic stress disorder linked to his service in Vietnam. More than one hundred military veterans wrote to Governor DeSantis on Monday urging him to halt the execution, pointing to these factors as reasons to spare Reaves' life.

Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers described the execution as closure rather than justice. Speaking at a press conference, he remarked, "Would we all be so lucky to be seventy-seven years old and to die so peacefully? That's not justice in any way, in my opinion."

Reaves himself stated that he did not have any last words. The execution followed a lengthy legal journey: Reaves was originally convicted and sentenced to death about a year after the 1986 shooting. The Florida Supreme Court later overturned that conviction due to a conflict of interest involving the prosecutor, ordering a new trial. After the second trial, Reaves was again convicted and sentenced to death, though subsequent appeals were unsuccessful. The U.S. Supreme Court denied Reaves' request for a stay of execution on Tuesday.

Florida's method of execution differs from that of neighboring states like Tennessee, which employs a single-drug approach. In contrast, Florida carries out executions through a three-drug protocol consisting of a sedative, a paralytic, and a substance that stops the heart. While the state has previously upheld this protocol against similar challenges, Reaves' attorneys continued to argue its constitutionality.

The case also drew attention because it mirrors a rare double-execution in Tennessee, where death row inmate Christa Pike survived two doses of pentobarbital and was rushed to the hospital before ultimately returning to prison. Her release highlights ongoing debates about the safety and efficacy of lethal injection protocols across the country.

As Florida continues its aggressive pace of executions—with Jesse Guardado scheduled for execution on November fifth for robbing and killing a woman to purchase drugs—Reaves' death marks another significant step in the state's capital punishment program. The execution concludes a decades-long legal saga that began with a violent confrontation in 1986 and now sees Reaves departing Florida permanently.