Crime · Vero Beach, FL
Florida Executes 77-Year-Old for 1986 Killing of Indian River County Deputy
Florida carried out its 18th execution of 2026 on Tuesday at Florida State Prison near Starke, pronouncing William Reaves, 77, dead at 6:12 p.m. following a three-drug lethal injection. Reaves was convicted in the September 1986 shooting death of Indian River County Sheriff's Deputy Richard Raczkoski at a Vero Beach convenience store. Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers attended the execution and said he viewed it as closure rather than justice, while the deputy's brother Marc Raczkoski told reporters his brother finally received justice. Reaves was the eighth Florida prisoner over age 70 executed this year as the state continues to lead the nation in total executions.