Florida Executes Man for Deputy's Murder
Source reports published 20 Oct 2026, 10:30 pm – 21 Oct 2026, 11:52 am AEST
Florida carried out its 18th execution of the year on Tuesday, executing William Reaves, 77, for the 1986 murder of a sheriff's deputy. The execution followed a lengthy legal battle and challenges to Florida’s lethal injection protocol.
What happened
- William Reaves was executed at Florida State Prison near Starke following a three-drug injection.
- He was convicted of first-degree murder in the September 1986 shooting death of Indian River County sheriff's deputy Richard Raczkoski.
- According to court records, Raczkoski responded to a 911 call at a Vero Beach convenience store where Reaves had placed the call from a payphone.
- A struggle ensued after a gun fell from Reaves’ shorts, and Reaves shot Raczkoski four times.
- Reaves was initially convicted and sentenced to death, but the Florida Supreme Court overturned the conviction due to a conflict of interest.
- He was subsequently convicted again and sentenced to death, and all appeals were unsuccessful.
- The U.S. Supreme Court denied a stay of execution.
- Marc Raczkoski, the deputy’s brother, stated that his brother finally received justice, while Sheriff Eric Flowers said the execution was closure, not justice.
- The execution highlighted Florida’s record number of executions this year and the state’s aging death row population.
Original reporting
- Fox News: Florida puts 77-year-old man to death for deputy's murder as state closes in on execution record
2026-10-21T01:52:20+00:00 - PBS NewsHour: Florida puts 77-year-old man to death, carrying out its 18th execution of the year
2026-10-21T00:20:44+00:00 - CBS News: Florida executes man who killed deputy after fighting for gun, marking the state's 18th execution this year
2026-10-20T12:30:00+00:00