Florida carried out the state's 18th execution since the start of 2026. William Reeves, 77, was pronounced dead at 6:12 p.m. after a lethal injection at the Florida Penitentiary near Stark.
Reeves was convicted of the September 1986 killing of Indian River County Deputy Sheriff Richard Ratzkoski. According to court records, the deputy responded to a 911 call about a store in Vero Beach. During the conversation between the two, a gun fell out of Reeves' clothing. After a struggle for the gun, he got it back and, according to the investigation, shot the officer four times. Ratzkoski later died from his wounds.
Reeves was sentenced to death about a year after the murder. The Florida Supreme Court overturned the first conviction because of a conflict of interest involving the prosecutor and ordered a new trial. In a retrial in 1992, Reeves was again sentenced to death.
Last appeals dismissed
The Florida Supreme Court rejected his last appeals a week before his execution, and the U.S. Supreme Court rejected his final request without reasons on Tuesday. Reeves' lawyers also challenged the method of execution, which in Florida involves three drugs: a sedative, a paralytic and a heart-stopping drug. The court has upheld that protocol in previous cases.
The defense also argued that the jurors who recommended the death penalty were not informed of the Department of Veterans Affairs' assessment that Reeves was 100 percent disabled due to post-traumatic stress disorder related to his service in Vietnam. More than 100 veterans have sent a letter to Gov. Ron DeSantis urging a halt to the execution.
When asked if he had any last words, Reeves replied, "No, I don't." The injection began immediately. About 30 seconds later, he took a few deep breaths and stopped moving.
Florida closes in on its own record
Reeves is the eighth Florida inmate over the age of 70 to be executed this year. The state carried out more than half of the 32 executions in the United States in 2026, the Associated Press reported. In 2025, Florida set a record with 19 executions.
Mark Ratzkoski, the brother of the slain deputy, said after the execution that his brother had finally received justice. But Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers said: “This is closure, not justice.“
The next execution in Florida is scheduled for Nov. 5. Then the death sentence of 64-year-old Jesse Guardado, convicted of robbery and murder committed in 2004, should be carried out.
Sources: apnews.com, wusf.org, theguardian.com