Billy Leon Kearse
Billy Leon Kearse, 53, was executed by lethal injection at Florida State Prison in Raiford on March 3, 2026, after more than 35 years on death row. The Florida Department of Corrections listed the method as a three-drug lethal injection, and news reports said he was pronounced dead about 22 minutes after the injection began. Before the execution he declined a last meal and met with a spiritual adviser, and witnesses said he apologized, saying, "I sincerely apologize for what I have done." Former Florida Supreme Court Justice Barbara Pariente had written in support of leniency, and the U.S. Supreme Court denied a stay on the day of the execution.
Cause of death, as reported: Executed by the state. Former Florida Supreme Court Justice Barbara Pariente wrote in support of leniency for Kearse, after more than 35 years on death row.
Reported by: Florida Department of Corrections (the agency that held him); news reports.