Florida has executed Chadwick Scott Willacy, a 58-year-old death row inmate convicted of killing his neighbor Marlys Sather during a burglary in 1990. According to UPI, Willacy was pronounced dead at 6:15 p.m. EDT on Tuesday after receiving a three-drug injection at the Florida State Prison in Raiford, about 45 miles southwest of Jacksonville.
Key Takeaways
Florida executed Chadwick Scott Willacy for killing his neighbor Marlys Sather during a burglary in 1990. Willacy was pronounced dead at 6:15 p.m. EDT after receiving a three-drug injection.
- Florida executes Chadwick Scott Willacy for 1990 murder of Marlys Sather
- Execution carried out by lethal injection at Florida State Prison near Starke
- Victim's son present during execution, which was the fifth in Florida this year
- U.S. Supreme Court denied final appeal hours before execution
The execution followed a lengthy legal process that included two sentencing phases and multiple appeals. As reported by dailymail.com, Willacy was convicted of first-degree murder, arson, robbery, and burglary in late 1991 after Sather returned home during her lunch break to find him burglarizing her Palm Bay residence. Prosecutors stated that Willacy bound, strangled, bludgeoned Sather, and set her on fire with a fan to feed the flames. The autopsy report confirmed she died by smoke inhalation.
Willacy's defense team had argued for a stay of execution based on Eighth Amendment violation claims regarding the state's lethal injection protocol. According to CBS News, Willacy maintained his innocence during his final statement, apologizing to his family and urging his 'brothers on the row' to stay strong. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to review his case hours before the execution.
The execution was witnessed by Sather's only son, John, as noted by dailymail.com. This marks Florida's fifth execution of 2026 and follows a record 19 executions in the state last year. Republican Governor Ron DeSantis has overseen more executions in a single year than any other Florida governor since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976. Another execution is scheduled for later this month, with James Ernest Hitchcock set to receive a lethal injection on April 30 for the 1976 rape and murder of his stepdaughter.
Anti-capital punishment group Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty criticized DeSantis' handling of the execution process. According to UPI, the group stated that Florida's unique execution selection process lacks transparency, reliability, and basic human decency. The death penalty has been abolished in 23 of the 50 U.S. states, with three others having moratoriums in place.
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