William Reaves
William Reaves was a 77-year-old Army veteran whose Vietnam War service left him, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 100% disabled by post-traumatic stress disorder. He was scheduled to be executed by three-drug lethal injection at Florida State Prison on October 20, 2026. His attorneys argue that the jurors who recommended his death sentence were never told about the VA rating. More than 100 veterans sent Gov. DeSantis a letter asking him to stop the execution. The Florida Supreme Court rejected his final state appeals the week before, and further appeals were pending at the U.S. Supreme Court.
Cause of death, as reported: Executed by the state. His attorneys argued that jurors who recommended his death sentence were never told the VA rated him 100% disabled by PTSD from his Vietnam War service.
Reported by: his attorneys.