Key facts
- William Reaves, 77, was executed by lethal injection on Tuesday.
- Reaves was convicted of the 1986 murder of deputy Richard Raczkowski.
- This was Florida's 18th execution of the year.
- Reaves was an army veteran rated 100% disabled by PTSD from the Vietnam War.
Florida carried out its 18th execution of the year on Tuesday, putting 77-year-old William Reaves to death by lethal injection. Reaves was convicted of the 1986 murder of Indian River county deputy Richard Raczkowski. The execution occurred under Governor Ron DeSantis, who has overseen an aggressive use of the death penalty. Reaves was pronounced dead at 6:12 p.m. at Florida state prison near Starke. His final appeals to the US Supreme Court and the Florida Supreme Court were rejected. Attorneys argued Reaves' PTSD diagnosis from his Vietnam War service was not presented to the jury that recommended the death penalty.