Florida sets execution date for man convicted of killing a traveling salesman
abcnews.go.com••nation
Key Points:
- Ronald Palmer Heath, convicted of a 1989 murder during a robbery, is scheduled for execution on February 10, 2026, marking Florida's first execution of the year under a death warrant signed by Governor Ron DeSantis.
- Governor DeSantis authorized a record 19 executions in 2025, the highest number by any Florida governor since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976.
- Heath was found guilty of first-degree murder, robbery with a deadly weapon, and multiple forgery charges related to the killing of traveling salesman Michael Sheridan in Gainesville, Florida.
- The crime involved Heath and his brother robbing Sheridan after meeting him at a bar, resulting in Sheridan being shot and stabbed before his body
