Florida puts 77-year-old man to death for deputy’s murder as state closes in on execution record
Florida executed William Reaves, 77, for the 1986 killing of Indian River County sheriff’s deputy Richard Raczkoski. The execution was the state’s 18th this year, as Governor Ron DeSantis continues a pace that could match Florida’s record of 19 executions in a year.
Reaves was pronounced dead at 6:12 p.m. after a three-drug injection at Florida State Prison. He was convicted twice after his first conviction was overturned over a prosecutor’s conflict of interest; courts rejected his final appeals, including challenges to the injection method. His lawyers also cited his Vietnam service and a 100% disability rating for post-traumatic stress disorder. Raczkoski’s brother described the execution as justice, while the county sheriff called it closure.
- Florida executed 77-year-old William Reaves for a deputy’s 1986 killing.
- The execution was Florida’s 18th this year.
- The state could match its annual record of 19 executions.
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Florida is one of the US states that allows the death penalty, and executions are carried out by lethal injection at the state prison. The governor can approve execution dates after appeals through the courts have been considered.
William Reaves was convicted of killing deputy Richard Raczkoski during a 1986 traffic stop. His first conviction was overturned because of a prosecutor’s conflict of interest, but he was convicted again; later courts rejected his challenges to the case and the injection method.
The case touches on how the state applies capital punishment and how long appeals can continue. Reaves’s lawyers pointed to his Vietnam service and severe post-traumatic stress disorder, while Raczkoski’s family and colleagues described the execution as bringing justice or closure.