Ron DeSantis has signed a death warrant for a man convicted of murdering his neighbor during a burglary in Palm Bay, Florida more than three decades ago.
The inmate, Chadwick Willacy, 58, is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection on April 21 at Florida State Prison. It marks the sixth execution order approved by the governor in 2026.
Details of the 1990 killing
Court records show that the victim, Marlys Mae Sather, 56, returned home unexpectedly around lunchtime on Sept. 5, 1990, and discovered Willacy burglarizing her house.
Prosecutors said Willacy attacked Sather, striking her multiple times with a blunt object. Authorities say he then tied her hands and ankles and attempted to strangle her with a telephone cord.
Investigators said he later poured gasoline on Sather, disabled the home’s smoke detectors and started a fire. Officials determined that Sather died from smoke inhalation, indicating she was still alive when the fire was set.
Evidence linked suspect to the crime
Authorities said investigators found Sather’s checkbook inside Willacy’s home. Her late husband’s car and ATM card were also reported stolen.
Surveillance images later showed Willacy attempting to withdraw money from an ATM while the stolen vehicle was visible in the background.
A jury convicted Willacy in December 1991 of several charges, including first-degree murder, burglary with assault, robbery with a firearm and arson.
Legal challenges and sentencing history
Although the Florida Supreme Court upheld Willacy’s convictions in 1994, it ordered a new sentencing phase.
In 1995, another jury again recommended the death penalty, this time by an 11-to-1 vote.
Subsequent appeals and post-conviction challenges were rejected by both state courts and federal courts, including the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
Additional executions scheduled in Florida
Florida officials have scheduled multiple executions in 2026 as the state continues enforcing capital punishment.
Among those facing execution are Michael King, convicted in the 2008 kidnapping and murder of Denise Amber Lee, and James Aren Duckett, a former police officer convicted of killing an 11-year-old girl in 1987.
Florida carried out 19 executions in 2025, the highest number in the modern era.