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Florida executes 77-year-old Vietnam veteran for 1986 killing of Indian River deputy
William Reaves was pronounced dead at Florida State Prison on Tuesday evening, nearly 40 years after he killed Deputy Richard Raczkoski. His attorneys had argued that combat-related PTSD and other issues warranted stopping the execution, but state and federal courts rejected his final appeals.
RAIFORD, Fla. — Florida executed William Reaves Jr. by lethal injection Tuesday at Florida State Prison, ending a case that began with the 1986 killing of Indian River County Sheriff’s Deputy Richard Raczkoski.
Reaves, 77, was pronounced dead at 6:12 p.m., according to prison officials. He did not make a final statement. His last meal was crackers and juice, and he received visits from four people and a spiritual adviser, Florida Department of Corrections spokesperson Jordan Kirkland said.
About 40 people from Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Daytona Beach gathered outside the prison to pray and sing before the execution. Other opponents of the death penalty held a moment of silence at 6 p.m., the scheduled start time.
Reaves was convicted of fatally shooting Raczkoski, 29, near a convenience store west of Vero Beach. Court records show Reaves, then 37, had called 911 while trying to arrange a ride. Raczkoski responded to the call. During a struggle, a .38-caliber pistol fell from Reaves’ waistband; Reaves retrieved it and fired seven shots, hitting the deputy four times. Raczkoski died at a hospital later that morning.
Reaves confessed and was first sentenced to death in 1987. Florida’s Supreme Court later overturned that conviction because the prosecutor had previously represented Reaves in an unrelated armed-robbery case. Reaves was convicted and sentenced to death again in 1992.
In final appeals, Reaves’ attorneys raised concerns about his clemency proceedings and hearing loss, and cited evidence they said could undermine testimony about whether the killing was premeditated. They also argued that Reaves’ combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder was not adequately presented to jurors. Reaves and his attorneys had said he experienced flashbacks connected to his service in Vietnam on the night of the killing.
A group of 100 military veterans urged Gov. Ron DeSantis to halt the execution, arguing that the country has a responsibility to veterans returning with service-related injuries. The U.S. Supreme Court denied Reaves’ requests for a stay and review Tuesday, following the Florida Supreme Court’s rejection of his appeal on Oct. 14.
The execution was Florida’s 18th this year, as the state continued an unusually rapid pace of executions. As of Oct. 19, Florida had carried out 142 executions since reinstating the death penalty in 1976. Another execution, that of Jesse Guardado, was scheduled for Nov. 5.