Florida executed a 77-year-old Vietnam War veteran Tuesday for the 1986 killing of an Indian River County sheriff’s deputy, carrying out the state’s 18th execution of the year.
William Reaves was pronounced dead at 6:12 p.m. following a three-drug lethal injection at Florida State Prison near Starke. Asked whether he had any final words, Reaves replied, “No, I do not,” according to the Associated Press.
Reaves was convicted of first-degree murder in the shooting death of Cpl. Richard “Raz” Raczkoski, 29, who responded to a silent 911 call at a convenience store in Vero Beach around 3 a.m. on Sept. 23, 1986.
According to court records, Raczkoski found Reaves near a payphone outside the store. During their encounter, a gun fell from Reaves’ waistband. The two struggled over the weapon, but Reaves regained control and shot the deputy four times as he tried to run away. Raczkoski later died from his injuries.
Reaves was arrested in Georgia two days later. He told investigators he had fired his .38-caliber pistol at the deputy and said he had been using cocaine, according to court records.
Reaves was first convicted and sentenced to death in 1987, but the Florida Supreme Court overturned the conviction because the prosecutor had previously represented him in an unrelated case. He was convicted again and sentenced to death in 1992. His subsequent appeals were unsuccessful, and the U.S. Supreme Court rejected his final appeal on Tuesday without comment.
Reaves’ military service became a central part of the final effort to stop his execution. He served as an Army infantry machine gunner in Vietnam, where he experienced combat, including ambushes and sniper fire, according to Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. His former attorney said Reaves struggled with psychological trauma after returning home.
More than 100 military veterans appealed to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to halt the execution, arguing that Reaves’ wartime experiences and post-traumatic stress disorder deserved consideration.
His attorneys also argued that jurors had not been told about his 100% disability rating from the Department of Veterans Affairs for PTSD related to his service. The appeals were rejected, and the execution proceeded.
Raczkoski’s family and friends had spent decades seeking justice for his killing. His brother, Marc Raczkoski, previously said the family had never been the same after the deputy’s death and described the execution as a source of closure.
Florida has carried out more executions than any other state this year, with Reaves becoming the 18th person put to death in the state in 2026.
Florida executed 19 people in 2025, setting a state record. Another execution is scheduled for Nov. 5. Reaves’ execution was the 32nd carried out nationwide this year.