Florida executes William Reaves, 77, in state's 18th execution of the year

Summary

Florida carried out its 18th execution of the year on Tuesday under Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, whose use of the death penalty has been aggressive in his final term. William Reaves, 77, a Vietnam veteran, was pronounced dead at 6:12pm after a three-drug lethal injection at Florida state prison near Starke, despite a letter from fellow veterans urging a halt. Reaves was convicted of first-degree murder in the 1986 shooting death of Indian River County deputy Richard Raczkowski. Asked if he had any last words, Reaves replied "No, I do not."

Timeline

1. The Guardian

   20 Oct 2026, 23:22 UTCSource ↗

   Reports that Florida executed William Reaves, 77, a Vietnam veteran, by lethal injection on Tuesday, its 18th execution of the year, despite a letter from fellow veterans urging a halt.

2. NDTV

   21 Oct 2026, 02:21 UTCSource ↗

   Reports that Florida executed William Reaves, 77, for the killing of a deputy, its 18th execution this year, and that Reaves replied "No, I do not" when asked if he had any last words.