Florida Executes William Reaves for 1986 Killing of Deputy
Florida executed 77-year-old William Reaves for the 1986 killing of Deputy Richard Raczkowski at Florida State Prison. This marks Florida's 18th execution of the year, underscoring the state's aggressive use of the death penalty.
Anchorage, AK, October 20, 2026 —
Florida executed 77-year-old William Reaves for the 1986 killing of Deputy Richard Raczkowski, according to the information provided. The execution took place at Florida State Prison.
The execution was Florida’s 18th of the year, a count that underscores the state’s aggressive use of the death penalty, as described in the trend summary. The calendar year in which the execution occurred was not provided.
The available information identifies Reaves’s age, the victim and the year of the killing, but does not give further details about the crime or the events surrounding it. It also does not specify the date or method of execution, or provide statements from Reaves, Raczkowski’s family, state officials or other parties.
No details were provided about the legal proceedings leading to the execution, including appeals or the timing of any court decisions. The information also does not explain how Florida’s total compares with execution counts in other states or with the state’s past annual totals. Those details cannot be established from the information available here.
The central facts reported are that Reaves, 77, was executed at Florida State Prison for the 1986 killing of Deputy Raczkowski, and that the execution brought Florida’s total for the year to 18. Further context about the case and the execution was not included in the summary.
Story summarized from the original created by David Fischer, Associated Press on www.adn.com, see more information here.
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