Florida executed William Reaves, 77, on Oct. 20, bringing the state’s 2026 count to 18 and leaving it one below the 19 executions carried out in 2025.
The Death Penalty Information Center recorded 32 U.S. executions through Oct. 20, including 18 in Florida. The center says Florida’s 2025 total was the state’s highest annual figure in the modern era.
The Associated Press, whose reporter witnessed the execution, reported Reaves’ time of death as 6:12 p.m. EDT. AP said Florida used a three-drug injection at Florida State Prison near Starke. The outlet also reported Reaves answered, “No, I do not,” when asked for his final words.
The Florida Supreme Court’s account says Reaves called 911 from a pay phone at a Vero Beach convenience store in September 1986. Deputy Richard Raczkoski was dispatched there. A gun fell from Reaves’ shorts during their encounter, and the men struggled over it; the court said Reaves shot Raczkoski four times in the back as the deputy turned away.
An earlier conviction did not stand after courts found a conflict involving the prosecutor. At a new trial, a jury convicted Reaves again and recommended a death sentence by a 10-2 vote.
Reaves challenged Florida’s clemency process and lethal-injection protocol. The Florida Supreme Court rejected his final state appeals and denied a stay on Oct. 14. The U.S. Supreme Court denied his stay request and petition for review on Oct. 20.
Fellow military veterans asked Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to stop the execution, arguing that jurors had not heard the full account of Reaves’ combat trauma. In a letter published by Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, they wrote, “Florida should not make that failure final by executing him now.”
EconoTimes had previously reported that Reaves’ scheduled execution would leave Florida one short of its 2025 total. Jesse Guardado is scheduled for execution on Nov. 5; if it proceeds, Florida’s 2026 count would match last year’s total.
