Florida carried out its 18th execution of the year on Tuesday under Republican governor Ron DeSantis’s aggressive use of the death penalty in his final term. William Reaves, 77, was pronounced dead at 6.12pm following a three-drug injection at Florida state prison near Starke. He was convicted of first-degree murder in the 1986 shooting death of Indian River county deputy Richard Raczkowski.
The death chamber curtain went up promptly at the 6pm execution time, and Reaves was already strapped to a gurney with an IV in his arm. Asked if he had any last statement, he said: “No, I do not.” The injection began immediately after that. About 30 seconds later, Reaves took several big breaths and then stopped moving.
After a few minutes, the team warden shook Reaves’ shoulders and yelled his name, but there was no response. A medic was called into the chamber a short time later to check for a heartbeat or any other signs of life, and Reaves was pronounced dead about a minute later. Reaves was the eighth Florida prisoner over the age of 70 put to death this year, highlighting the nation’s ageing death-row population as Florida continues to far outpace the rest of country in total executions.
Last year, Florida set a state record with 19 executions in a single year and it would tie that mark if another execution is carried out next month as scheduled. DeSantis, who leaves office in January after two terms, has said his goal is to deliver justice to victims’ families who have waited decades for death sentences to be carried out. Raczkowski responded to a 911 call at a Vero Beach convenience store in September 1986, according to court records.
Reaves later acknowledged he had placed the call from a payphone outside the store. While Raczkowski and Reaves spoke, a gun fell out of Reaves’ shorts, officials said. The two struggled over the weapon, and Reaves eventually regained control of it.
Investigators said the deputy was trying to run away when Reaves shot him four times. The deputy later died from his wounds. Reaves was convicted and sentenced to death about a year after the shooting.
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