Crime & Public Safety
Governor signs death warrant for man convicted in 1986 Indian River County deputy death
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has signed a death warrant for 77-year-old William Reaves Jr., who was convicted of death an Indian River County Sheriff's deputy in 1986. The warrant schedules an execution for Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 6 p.m. The execution is set to be carried out at Florida State Prison in Raiford.
The underlying homicide occurred on Sept. 23, 1986, following a confrontation at a convenience store after a 911 call. According to the record, a firearm fell from Reaves’s clothing during an encounter with the deputy; the deputy momentarily controlled the weapon with his knee, after which Reaves pushed the deputy away, recovered the gun, and fired multiple rounds. Reaves was tried in the 19th Judicial Circuit in Indian River County and initially convicted, but the Florida Supreme Court reversed and remanded the case for a new trial. On remand he was again convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death on March 6, 1992, in Vero Beach.
The conviction and sentence were affirmed by the Florida Supreme Court on April 7, 1994, and the U.S. Supreme Court denied certiorari on Nov. 7, 1994. Reaves pursued numerous state and federal postconviction challenges in subsequent years. A federal district court granted habeas relief in 2015, but the Eleventh Circuit overturned that decision on Sept. 28, 2017, directing that the petition be denied. Additional postconviction motions and appeals were denied, and executive clemency was considered and denied.
Florida’s attorney general recommended the warrant, writing that “the record is legally sufficient to support the issuance of a death warrant,” and confirming that “there are no stays of execution issued by any court of competent jurisdiction in this cause.” The governor’s signature implements that recommendation and sets the current scheduled execution date and location.
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