Ronald Palmer Heath
Ronald Palmer Heath, 64, spent 35 years on death row before Florida executed him by lethal injection at Florida State Prison in Raiford on February 10, 2026, according to state execution records, though one report gave the date as February 17. The state declared him dead at 6:12 p.m., and in his last words he apologized and thanked those present. Members of the victims' families attended, and some said the execution brought them little happiness while others called it necessary justice. His sister, Kimberly Reeves, said she still mourns him and hopes he was at peace. Advocacy groups protested and said he was put to death for a crime they believe he did not commit, a claim the victim's family did not share, while courts rejected his lawyers' challenges to the method of execution.
Cause of death, as reported: Executed by the state. An advocacy group says he was put to death for a crime they believe he did not commit.
Reported by: Florida Department of Corrections (the agency that held him); news reports.