William Frances Silvia, 61, was executed Tuesday at Florida State Prison near Starke after the U.S. Supreme Court denied a last-minute request to halt his death sentence.

Silvia was convicted of first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder for the 2006 fatal shooting of his estranged wife, Patricia Silvia, and the wounding of her mother, Betty Woodard, at an Orlando-area home during a family cookout. According to court records, Silvia purchased a shotgun that year and went to Woodard's residence where his wife had been living since their separation two months earlier.

Silvia was first sentenced to death following his 2008 trial. A court later vacated that sentence after an appeal related to Florida's death penalty sentencing procedures, but he received a new death penalty phase in 2018 and was again sentenced to death.

What the Left Is Saying

Death penalty opponents have criticized Florida's acceleration of executions as inconsistent with broader national trends toward ending capital punishment. The American Civil Liberties Union has long argued that the death penalty disproportionately affects minority defendants and carries the risk of executing innocent people. Organizations including the Death Penalty Information Center have noted that most states have moved away from frequent executions, making Florida an outlier in its approach.

Silvia's attorneys from the Capital Collateral Regional Counsel, a state agency providing legal representation to death row inmates, argued that inadequate legal assistance was provided because the office was simultaneously assisting another death row inmate. The Florida Supreme Court rejected this appeal.

"The pace of these executions does not allow adequate time for courts to fully review potential constitutional violations," said groups including the Innocence Project in filings before the Supreme Court, according to court documents reviewed by reporters.

What the Right Is Saying

Supporters of Florida's execution record argue that the death penalty serves as appropriate punishment for the most heinous crimes and provides justice for victims' families. Republican officials have pointed to the state's 2025 total of 19 executions—a record since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976—as evidence of the system's effectiveness.

Gov. Ron DeSantis, in his final term, has championed Florida's aggressive use of capital punishment. State prosecutors under his administration have pursued death sentences in cases meeting statutory requirements for aggravated murder.

"Florida law provides consequences for those who commit first-degree murder," said a statement from the Governor's office. "These are individuals who received full due process through multiple levels of judicial review, including appeals to the Florida Supreme Court and federal courts."

What the Numbers Show

Florida has carried out 13 executions so far in 2026, accounting for more than half of the nation's 22 total executions this year. The state led the nation with 19 executions in 2025, surpassing its previous single-year record of eight set in 2014.

Nationally, 47 people were executed in the United States in 2025. In July, Florida became the first state in nearly a decade to execute two prisoners on a single day.

Two additional executions remain scheduled for September: Harold Gene Lucas, 74, is set to die September 1, followed by Daniel Owen Conahan Jr., 72, on September 10. All Florida executions use a three-drug lethal injection protocol consisting of a sedative, a paralytic, and a drug that stops the heart, according to the state Department of Corrections.

The Bottom Line

Florida's execution rate has made it an outlier among U.S. states pursuing capital punishment under DeSantis' administration in his final term. With two more executions scheduled for September, Florida is on pace to significantly exceed its 2025 record of 19 executions.

Legal advocates continue to raise concerns about the speed of executions and the adequacy of judicial review, while state officials maintain that all procedures follow constitutional requirements. The execution of William Silvia brings the total to 13 this year as Florida carries out more than half of all U.S. executions in 2026.