Florida Executes William Reaves, 77, for 1986 Deputy Murder as State Reaches 18th Execution
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Oct 21
Florida Executes William Reaves, 77, for 1986 Deputy Murder as State Reaches 18th Execution
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Oct 21
Summary
William Reaves, 77, was pronounced dead at 6:12 p.m. Tuesday at Florida State Prison after a three-drug lethal injection for the 1986 killing of deputy Richard Raczkoski.
The execution went forward after the U.S. Supreme Court denied a stay Tuesday and Florida's top court rejected challenges to the state's three-drug protocol and to jurors not hearing that Reaves was rated 100% disabled for PTSD.
Raczkoski was shot four times after responding to a 911 call Reaves made from a Vero Beach payphone in 1986; Reaves was retried and resentenced to death after his first conviction was overturned over a prosecutor conflict.
Marc Raczkoski called the execution long-delayed justice, while Sheriff Eric Flowers said Reaves' peaceful death felt more like closure than justice.
Florida has now carried out 18 executions this year—more than half the U.S. total of 32—and could tie its 2025 state record of 19 if a Nov. 5 execution proceeds.