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Florida execution called off after DeSantis withdraws death warrant for first time
The Guardian • • nation
Key Points:
- Florida Governor Ron DeSantis canceled the scheduled execution of 74-year-old William Lee Thompson, marking the first time in his nearly eight years in office that he has withdrawn a death warrant, without providing a reason.
- The cancellation follows increased scrutiny of the death penalty in the US, including a recent botched execution in Tennessee where Christa Pike survived two lethal injections and severe injuries.
- Thompson, convicted for a 1976 murder and kidnapping, suffers from dementia, with his attorneys arguing he is incompetent for execution; a psychiatric evaluation was conducted but its findings were not publicly released.
- Despite Thompson's execution being halted, a second Florida execution scheduled for the same day, involving James Robertson who waived appeals, remains set to proceed.
- Florida executed a record 19 prisoners in 2023 and recently became the first state in nearly a decade to carry out two executions in one day, reflecting the state's aggressive use of the death penalty under DeSantis.
