Florida puts 77-year-old man to death, carrying out its 18th execution of the year

William Reaves was pronounced dead at 6:12 p.m. Tuesday after Florida administered a three-drug lethal injection. He was 77, making him the eighth Florida prisoner over age 70 executed this year. His execution matters because Florida is using the death penalty at a pace far exceeding other states.

Reaves was convicted of first-degree murder in the September 1986 killing of deputy Richard Raczkoski. Court records say Raczkoski responded to a 911 call at a Vero Beach convenience store. A gun fell from Reaves' shorts during their conversation. After a struggle, Reaves regained the weapon and shot the deputy four times.

Reaves was first sentenced to death in 1987, but the Florida Supreme Court ordered a new trial because of a prosecutor's conflict of interest. He was convicted and sentenced again in 1992. His appeals failed, and the U.S. Supreme Court rejected his final appeal without comment.

Florida has carried out 18 executions in 2026, including William Reaves. That total represents more than half of the 32 executions performed across the United States so far this year. Florida therefore stands apart from the rest of the country in its use of capital punishment.

The state also led the nation in 2025, carrying out 19 executions. If another execution occurs as scheduled next month, Florida could tie that state record. The article describes this pace as part of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis' aggressive use of the death penalty during his final term.

The comparison shows that executions are concentrated heavily in Florida this year. The article does not provide each other state's individual totals. It does report that Florida had already accounted for more than half of all U.S. executions, while 2025 ended with 47 executions nationwide.

The death penalty is a government-imposed punishment in which a person convicted of an eligible serious crime is put to death. It matters because it is irreversible, so courts review death sentences through repeated appeals before an execution can proceed. In Reaves' case, that process lasted decades.

Florida uses lethal injection to carry out the punishment. The state's three-drug protocol begins with a sedative, followed by a paralytic and a drug that stops the heart, according to the Department of Corrections. Reaves was strapped to a gurney, an IV was placed in his arm, and the injection began after he declined to give last words.

Reaves took several large breaths and stopped moving about 30 seconds later. A medic checked for signs of life, and he was pronounced dead at 6:12 p.m. The article notes that Florida's method differs from the single-drug injection used in Tennessee.

A murder conviction does not automatically lead to an execution. In a capital case, a court imposes a death sentence, and the defendant can challenge the conviction, sentencing process, and execution method through appeals. Courts review those claims because an execution is permanent and constitutional rights must be protected.

Reaves shows how the process can stretch across decades. He was convicted and sentenced to death about a year after the 1986 shooting. The Florida Supreme Court overturned that conviction because of a prosecutor's conflict of interest. After a new trial, Reaves was convicted and sentenced again in 1992. Later appeals continued.

His lawyers challenged the lethal injection procedure and argued that jurors lacked important information about his military-related PTSD disability. The Florida Supreme Court rejected his appeals the previous week, and the U.S. Supreme Court rejected his final appeal on execution day. Reaves was then put to death.

Reaves's attorneys challenged Florida's three-drug lethal injection protocol as part of their effort to stop the execution. Such a challenge matters because the method determines how the state carries out an irreversible punishment. Florida's Supreme Court had previously upheld the same protocol against similar challenges.

They also argued that jurors who recommended death were never told that the Department of Veterans Affairs had rated Reaves 100% disabled for PTSD connected to his Vietnam War service. That information could have been important to the sentencing decision, according to the lawyers' argument. More than 100 military veterans asked DeSantis to halt the execution.

The Florida Supreme Court rejected Reaves's appeals the week before execution. The U.S. Supreme Court rejected his last-minute appeal without comment on Tuesday afternoon. Florida proceeded with the injection, which used a sedative, a paralytic, and a heart-stopping drug.

Florida's high execution rate makes the state a national outlier. It has carried out 18 executions in 2026, more than half of the 32 nationwide. The pace matters because it affects many condemned prisoners, keeps Florida's death-penalty system under intense legal attention, and shapes the national debate over capital punishment.

The executions also expose different views of what punishment achieves. Marc Raczkoski, the victim's brother, said his brother finally received justice. Sheriff Eric Flowers, who witnessed the execution, called it closure instead. Reaves's execution was also the eighth this year involving a Florida prisoner older than 70, highlighting an aging death-row population.

Florida may extend its lead. The state set a record with 19 executions in 2025 and could tie that number if another execution occurs next month as scheduled. The article does not state whether other states will change their policies in response.

Death-penalty decisions require several interests to be weighed at once. Officials may emphasize punishment and victims' families, while courts must protect constitutional rights and examine whether the conviction and sentence were legally sound. Because execution cannot be undone, the risk of a wrongful execution makes careful review especially important.

Reaves's case shows these competing concerns. DeSantis said families had waited decades for justice. Marc Raczkoski agreed that the execution brought justice, while Sheriff Eric Flowers called it closure rather than justice. At the same time, Reaves's lawyers raised concerns about the injection method and information about his Vietnam-related PTSD disability.

Courts reviewed those claims at multiple levels. The Florida Supreme Court had previously overturned Reaves's first conviction because of prosecutorial conflict, but later rejected his appeals. The U.S. Supreme Court denied his final appeal. The case shows how legal review can correct errors, while elected officials decide whether to authorize or halt executions.