Politics · October 20, 2026
Florida kills 77-year-old man in state’s 18th execution of year
Florida executed 77-year-old William Reaves on Tuesday at the Florida State Prison near Starke, marking the state's 18th execution of the year. Reaves was convicted of the 1986 first-degree murder of Indian River County Deputy Richard Raczkowski. The execution was carried out via a three-drug lethal injection and overseen by Governor Ron DeSantis. Reaves was pronounced dead at 6:12 p.m. following a procedure that involved a consciousness check by prison staff.
Read the original coverage
- The GuardianMBFC: Left-Center
Florida kills 77-year-old man in state’s 18th execution of year
Read at The Guardian ↗ - CBS NewsMBFC: Right-Center
Florida executes man who killed deputy after fighting for gun, marking the state
Read at CBS News ↗ - Fox NewsAllSides: Right (Digital)MBFC: Right
Florida puts 77-year-old man to death for deputy's murder as state closes in on execution record
Read at Fox News ↗
Reported across the spectrum
- William Reaves, aged 77, was executed on Tuesday at Florida State Prison.
- The execution was the 18th carried out in Florida this year.
- Reaves was convicted of the 1986 murder of Deputy Richard Raczkowski.
- The execution method was a three-drug lethal injection.
- Reaves was pronounced dead at 6:12 p.m.
- Governor Ron DeSantis is noted as having an accelerated or aggressive execution schedule.
Reported by only some outlets
- William Reaves was a Vietnam veteran.
- A letter from fellow veterans urged a halt to the execution.
- The murder occurred more than 40 years ago (as per Fox News' timeline reference).
- Specific details of the execution procedure included the warden shaking Reaves' shoulders and yelling his name to check for responsiveness.
- The shooting occurred after a struggle for a gun.
Left-leaning outlets tend to emphasize…
highlight the personal history of the condemned man as a veteran and emphasize the political aggression of the governor's death penalty policies.
Right-leaning outlets tend to emphasize…
focus on the victim's status as a law enforcement officer and the significant length of time since the crime occurred.
Where coverage diverges
Coverage diverges along left/right lines — see Framing tab for specifics.
About these outlets
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