Follow-Up: Florida Executes William Reaves: Pronounced Dead at 6:12 p.m., the State's 18th Execution This Year
Florida carried out the execution of death row inmate William Reaves Jr. on the evening of October 20. Florida Department of Corrections spokesman Jordan Kirkland said at a media briefing at the prison that Reaves, 77, was put to death by lethal injection at Florida State Prison near Raiford and was pronounced dead at 6:12 p.m. ET, with 29 witnesses present and three people accompanying him inside the execution chamber. Asked whether he had any final words, Reaves said, "No, I do not." (According to TCPalm and USA Today)
Kirkland said Reaves awoke at 5 a.m., remained compliant, received four visitors — his sister, nephew, brother and a friend — and met with a spiritual advisor; his last meal consisted of crackers and juice. Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers witnessed the execution. A refurbished patrol car dedicated to slain Deputy Richard Raczkoski was towed to the prison that afternoon.
Reaves was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death for the September 23, 1986, shooting of Indian River County Deputy Richard Raczkoski, 29, who had responded to a 911 call in Vero Beach. A circuit court on October 2, the Florida Supreme Court on October 14 and a federal district judge on October 19 each refused to stay the execution, and the U.S. Supreme Court denied his request on the afternoon of October 20, allowing the execution to proceed as scheduled.
It was Florida's 18th execution of 2026 and the 32nd in the United States this year. More than 100 military veterans had written to Governor Ron DeSantis asking for clemency, citing the trauma Reaves carried from the Vietnam War; the plea was not granted. The state argued in court filings this month that the long-delayed sentence was overdue to be carried out.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: Raiford 惩教设施外围（资料图）。图片来源：ryan griffis 摄，Wikimedia Commons，CC BY-SA 2.0 授权
- 2026-10-20Florida Set to Execute William Reaves Jr. Tonight After Supreme Court Denies Stay in 1986 Deputy Killing
- 2026-10-20Follow-Up: Florida Executes William Reaves: Pronounced Dead at 6:12 p.m., the State's 18th Execution This YearThis story
