William Reaves Jr.

Summary

The crime

In September 1986, Deputy Richard Raczkoski, 29, of the Indian River County Sheriff's Office, responded to a call at a Zippy Mart convenience store near Vero Beach, Florida. He was helping William Reaves arrange a taxi when a gun fell from Reaves's clothing.

According to the court record, the deputy reached for his own weapon, then backed away and ran. Reaves fired seven shots, hitting Deputy Raczkoski four times, and he died from his wounds.

Reaves was arrested in Georgia, returned to Florida on 25 September 1986, and indicted by a grand jury for first-degree murder on 8 October 1986.

Legal history

1. September 1986Deputy Richard Raczkoski killed near Vero Beach; Reaves arrested in Georgia
2. 8 October 1986Indicted by a grand jury for first-degree murder
3. First trialConvicted and sentenced to death
4. 1991Florida Supreme Court reverses the conviction and sentence because a prosecutor had previously defended Reaves, and orders a new trial
5. 6 March 1992Convicted again and sentenced to death in Vero Beach
6. 7 April 1994Florida Supreme Court upholds the conviction and death sentence
7. 20 June 2002Florida Supreme Court orders a hearing on claims that his trial lawyers were ineffective
8. 14 September 2006Florida Supreme Court rejects a further post-conviction appeal
9. 2018Florida Supreme Court rules that changes to Florida's death sentencing law do not apply to his case, as his sentence became final before 2002
10. September 2026Governor Ron DeSantis signs a death warrant setting execution for 20 October 2026
11. October 2026Indian River County court rejects his latest challenge; appeal filed with the Florida Supreme Court
12. 14 October 2026Florida Supreme Court rejects his final appeal
13. 17 October 2026Asks the US Supreme Court for a stay of execution
14. 20 October 2026Executed by lethal injection at Florida State Prison

Current status

William Reaves Jr. was executed by a three-drug lethal injection at Florida State Prison near Starke on Tuesday 20 October 2026, and was pronounced dead at 6:12 pm. He was 77, and had spent almost 40 years on death row.

In the final days, the Florida Supreme Court rejected his last appeals, and the US Supreme Court declined to halt the execution. Governor DeSantis did not intervene. His lawyers and supporters, including more than 100 military veterans who appealed to the governor, had argued that the jury never heard expert evidence about combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder from his service in Vietnam.

After witnessing the execution, Deputy Raczkoski's brother, Marc, said his brother had finally received justice. Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers said he saw it as closure rather than justice.

It was Florida's 18th execution of 2026, and the eighth this year of a prisoner aged over 70.

Sources

1. WFLX / WPTV: governor signs death warrant, execution set for 20 October at 6 pm
2. WFLX: Reaves's family pleads for clemency; appeal to Florida Supreme Court
3. Hoodline: background, 1991 reversal and retrial
4. Tracking Florida's Death Penalty: warrant and legal history
5. Catholic Mobilizing Network: clemency campaign (advocacy group)
6. Death Penalty Information Center: upcoming executions