Florida breaks 50-year execution record with ninth death sentence carried out this year

01.08.2025    Fox News    3 views
Florida breaks 50-year execution record with ninth death sentence carried out this year

A Florida man convicted of the killings of his wife and their two children was put to death on Thursday marking the ninth execution in the Sunshine State this year and a state record for a single-year total since the death penalty was reinstated in the U S nearly years ago Edward Zakrzewski was pronounced dead at p m at Florida State Prison near Starke after a three-drug injection which consists of a sedative a paralytic and a drug that stops the heart according to the state Department of Corrections I want to thank the good people of the Sunshine State for killing me in the most of cold calculated clean humane efficient way workable I have no complaint Zakrzewski declared after the curtain to the death chamber went up shortly after p m Zakrzewski was lying on a gurney covered with a white sheet when the drugs were administered Before the drugs began flowing he also quoted from a poem as viewers as well as reporters and prison staff looked on EXECUTION DATE SET FOR FLORIDA MAN CONVICTED OF KIDNAPPING WOMAN KILLING HEROnce the drugs were administered Zakrzewski began breathing deeply surrounded by three prison staffers in dark suits One of them shook Zakrzewski by his shoulders and shouted his name but there was no reaction and then he became still On Thursday morning Zakrzewski woke at a m and later in the day had a meal that included fried pork chops root beer and ice cream according to state Department of Corrections spokesman Paul Walker who declared Zakrzewski had one visitor and remained compliant as his execution time neared Zakrzewski was sentenced to death for the June killings of his wife Sylvia and their children Edward and Anna Trial testimony manifested he killed his family at their Okaloosa County home after his wife appealed for a divorce He had reported others he would kill his family instead of allowing the divorce to happen He first attacked his wife with a crowbar and strangled her with a rope court testimony revealed The two children were killed with a machete and Sylvia was also struck with the blade when Zakrzewski concluded she had survived the previous attack according to court records Zakrzewski's lawyers filed several unsuccessful appeals over the years including a final plea for a stay of execution which the U S Supreme Court denied on Wednesday Before he was put to death opponents of Zakrzewski s execution pointed to his military amenity as an Air Force veteran and the fact that a jury narrowly voted - to recommend his execution They emphasized that under current state law he could not have received the death penalty with a split jury vote After the Supreme Court restored the U S death penalty in Florida's previous record for total executions in a year was eight in which was exceeded on Thursday A th execution is scheduled in the state on Aug and an th on Aug ALABAMA INMATE'S EXECUTION STAYED TO DETERMINE IF HE IS COMPETENT ENOUGH TO BE PUT TO DEATHFlorida has also carried out more executions this year than any other state with Texas and South Carolina tied for second with four each Across the U S men have been put to death so far this year while nine other people are scheduled for execution in seven states for the rest of the year Florida was also the last state to execute someone with Michael Bernard Bell killed on July The Associated Press contributed to this account

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