Florida executes William Reaves for 1986 murder of deputy

William Reaves Jr., 77, has been executed by lethal injection at Florida State Prison near Starke for the 1986 murder of an Indian River County sheriff’s deputy — the state’s 18th execution this year.

Reaves was pronounced dead at 6:12 p.m. on Tuesday. When asked whether he had any last words, he told witnesses: “No, I do not.”

He was convicted of first-degree murder for shooting Deputy Richard Raczkoski, 29, outside a Vero Beach convenience store on 23 September 1986. Reaves had placed the 911 call himself from the store’s payphone after running out of quarters for a taxi to Gifford; dispatchers instead sent Raczkoski to investigate. During the encounter a .38-calibre pistol slipped from Reaves’ waistband. After a struggle, Reaves regained the gun and fired seven times, striking the deputy three times in the back and once in the arm. Raczkoski, the first Indian River County deputy killed in the line of duty, died later that morning.

Reaves was sentenced to death in 1987, but the Florida Supreme Court reversed the conviction over a conflict of interest involving the prosecutor. He was convicted and sentenced to death a second time in 1992, and the US Supreme Court rejected his final appeal on Tuesday afternoon.

His last meal was crackers and juice. He received four visitors and met a spiritual adviser.

Florida set a state record with 19 executions in 2025. A further execution, of Jesse Guardado, 64, on 5 November, would tie that record.

Sources

• TCPalm live coverage: https://www.tcpalm.com/story/news/crime/2026/10/20/florida-execution-william-reaves-today—live/92262529007/
• AP via Arab News Pakistan: https://www.arabnews.pk/world/florida-is-set-to-carry-out-18th-execution-this-year-and-moving-closer-to-tying-record-3004764
• AP via The Manila Times: https://www.manilatimes.net/2026/10/21/world/americas-emea/florida-is-set-to-carry-out-18th-execution-this-year-and-moving-closer-to-tying-record/2450290/amp