Key facts
- Florida Governor Ron DeSantis withdrew a death warrant for William Lee Thompson.
- This is the first time DeSantis has withdrawn a death warrant in office.
- Thompson, 74, was scheduled for execution on Tuesday for a 1976 murder and kidnapping.
- Thompson's attorneys cited dementia and failing health as reasons for incompetence.
- A second Florida execution for James Robertson is still scheduled.
- Florida carried out a record 19 executions last year.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis cancelled a planned execution on Friday, marking the first time he has withdrawn a death warrant during his tenure. The decision came days before William Lee Thompson, 74, was scheduled to be executed by lethal injection for the 1976 murder and kidnapping of Sally Ivester.
Thompson's attorneys stated he suffers from dementia and is incompetent for execution, with one lawyer noting he did not recognize he had been sentenced to death. Grace Hanna, executive director of Floridians for alternatives to the death penalty, confirmed that Thompson's attorneys had informed DeSantis of his condition.
The withdrawal follows increased scrutiny on the death penalty, including the botched execution of Christa Pike in Tennessee on September 30, where she survived two lethal injections. Additionally, the Pentagon announced it would livestream the execution of Nidal Malik Hasan, who killed 13 people at Fort Hood in 2009.
Thompson will remain on Florida's death row, and a new death warrant could be issued in the future. Another execution in Florida, that of James Robertson, 63, for the 2008 murder of a fellow inmate, is still scheduled to proceed as Robertson has waived all appeals.