Florida executes 77-year-old man in state's 18th execution of the year

Florida carried out its 18th execution of the year on Tuesday, executing William Reaves, a 77-year-old Vietnam veteran, by lethal injection. This execution took place under the administration of Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, who has aggressively pursued the death penalty during his final term.

Reaves was pronounced dead at 6:12 PM 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 execution began promptly at 6 PM, with Reaves already strapped to a gurney and an IV in his arm. When asked if he had any last statement, he replied, "No, I do not." The injection commenced immediately after his response. Approximately 30 seconds later, Reaves took several deep breaths before ceasing all movement. After a few minutes, the warden shook Reaves' shoulders and called his name, but received no response. A medic was summoned shortly thereafter to check for a heartbeat or any signs of life, and Reaves was pronounced dead about a minute later.