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Florida executed William Reaves, a 77-year-old Vietnam veteran, by lethal injection on Tuesday (October 20) for the 1986 murder of Indian River County Deputy Richard Raczkoski. Reaves was pronounced dead at 6:12 p.m. at Florida State Prison, marking the state's 18th execution this year, as reported by NBC News.
Reaves was convicted of shooting Raczkoski outside a Vero Beach convenience store after a gun fell from his shorts. The two struggled over the weapon before Reaves regained control and shot the deputy four times as he tried to flee. Raczkoski died from his wounds later that morning, according to the Tallahassee Democrat.
Reaves' execution proceeded despite appeals from over 100 military veterans who urged Governor Ron DeSantis to halt it, citing Reaves' combat-related PTSD from his service in Vietnam. Reaves' attorneys argued that the jury never heard about his PTSD diagnosis, which the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs rated as 100% disabling, USA Today reports.
The U.S. Supreme Court denied Reaves' final appeal on Tuesday afternoon. His legal team had sought to present mitigating evidence that they claimed was not considered during his trial. Reaves admitted guilt but argued the murder was not premeditated, according to the Tallahassee Democrat.
Florida's execution rate has surged under DeSantis, with the state carrying out more than half of the 32 executions in the U.S. this year. Another execution is scheduled for November 5, which could tie the state's record of 19 executions in a single year, set in 2025, NBC News reports.