Florida has put a 77-year-old man to death, 40 years after he was convicted of first-degree murder.
asserted
he → put → murder
It marks the state’s 18th execution of the year under Republic Governor Ron DeSantis’ aggressive use of the death penalty in his final term.
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It → mark → term
William Reaves was pronounced dead at 6.12pm on Tuesday following a three-drug injection at Florida State Prison near Starke.
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Reaves → pronounce → Starke
Reeves was found guilty of shooting Indian River County sheriff's deputy Richard Raczkoski in September 1986.
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Reeves → find → September
The death chamber curtain went up at the 6 p.m. execution time with Reaves already strapped to a gurney with an IV in his arm.
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Reaves → go → arm
Asked if he had any last words, he replied: ”No, I do not.”
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I → ask → words
The injection began immediately after that.
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injection → begin → that
About 30 seconds later, Reaves took several big breaths and then stopped moving.
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Reaves → take → breaths
After a few minutes, the team warden shook Reaves’ shoulders and shouted his name, but there was no response.
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warden → shake → name
A medic was called in a short time later to check for a heartbeat or any other signs of life.
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medic → call → life
Reaves was pronounced dead about a minute later.
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Reaves → pronounce → ?
Florida ramps up the death penalty
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Florida → ramp → penalty
Reaves became the eighth Florida prisoner over the age of 70 put to death this year.
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Reaves → become → death
It highlights the nation’s aging death-row population as the state continues to far outpace the rest of the country in total executions.
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state → highlight → executions
In 2025, Florida set a state record with 19 executions in a year, and it is slated to tie that mark if another execution is carried out next month as scheduled.
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execution → set → mark
DeSantis, who leaves office in January after two terms, has said he wants justice to be delivered to victims’ families who have often waited decades for death sentences to be imposed.
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sentences → leave → decades
Marc Raczkoski, the deputy’s brother, briefly told reporters after witnessing the execution that his brother finally got justice.
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brother → tell → justice
But Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers, who was also on hand, said at a post-execution briefing that he saw the execution as closure, not justice.
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he → say → closure
“Would we all be so lucky to be 77 years old and to die so peacefully,” Flowers said.
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Flowers → die → ?
“That’s not justice in any way in my opinion.”
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That → ’ → opinion
Why William Reaves was put to death
Raczkoski responded to an emergency 911 call at a Vero Beach convenience store on 23 September 1986, court records state.
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records → put → September
Reaves later acknowledged he had placed the call from a payphone outside the store.
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he → acknowledge → store
While the two men talked, a gun fell out of Reaves’ shorts, officials said.
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officials → talk → shorts
They then struggled over the weapon, and Reaves eventually regained control of it.
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Reaves → struggle → it
Investigators said that the deputy was trying to run away when Reaves shot him four times.
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Reaves → say → him
Raczkoski died later that day from his wounds.
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Raczkoski → die → wounds
Reaves was convicted and sentenced to death about a year after the shooting.
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Reaves → convict → shooting
But the Florida Supreme Court overturned the conviction because of a conflict of interest with the prosecutor and ordered a new trial.
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Court → overturn → trial
Reaves was convicted again and newly sentenced to death in 1992.
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Reaves → convict → 1992
The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday afternoon rejected Reaves’ 11th-hour appeal without comment.
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Court → reject → comment
The Florida Supreme Court last week also rejected Reaves’ appeals seeking to spare his life.
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Court → reject → life
His attorneys challenged Florida’s three-drug lethal injection protocol.
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attorneys → challenge → protocol
All Florida executions are carried out via injection of a sedative, a paralytic and a drug that stops the heart, according to the Department of Corrections.
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that → carry → Corrections
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