Did Florida just become the top execution state in America?
Florida sets record for death penalty today with the execution of Edward Zakrzewski, marking the ninth person put to death in the state in 2025—surpassing all previous single-year records since the death penalty was reinstated by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1976.
Zakrzewski, a 60-year-old man convicted of brutally murdering his wife and two children in 1994, was executed at Florida State Prison near Starke on Thursday. His death by lethal injection at 6:12 p.m. marks a new and controversial milestone in Florida’s modern legal history. The execution was carried out using the state’s standard three-drug cocktail protocol.
In 2014, Florida had reached a prior high of eight executions, but that record was matched earlier this year and now officially broken. Florida sets record for death penalty today, outpacing all other U.S. states including Texas and South Carolina, which have each conducted four executions in 2025.
Ninth execution reignites debate over capital punishment in Florida
Edward Zakrzewski’s crimes shocked the nation. Court testimony revealed that in June 1994, he killed his 34-year-old wife, Sylvia, with a crowbar and rope, then used a machete to kill their two children, Edward (7) and Anna (5), at their home in Okaloosa County after his wife sought a divorce.
During Thursday’s execution, Zakrzewski remained calm and spoke chillingly to witnesses: “I want to thank the good people of the Sunshine State for killing me in the most cold, calculated, clean, humane, efficient way possible. I have no complaint.” He also quoted poetry before the curtain rose in the death chamber.
With Florida setting the record for death penalty today, it highlights a broader political trend under Governor Ron DeSantis, who has already signed two more death warrants for August. Kayle Bates is scheduled for execution on August 19, followed by Curtis Windom on August 28.
This aggressive approach to capital punishment places Florida at the center of the national conversation on the death penalty. In total, 27 executions have been carried out in the U.S. this year, and Florida now accounts for a third of that total.
Split jury, military service raise concerns as Florida intensifies executions
Legal experts and human rights advocates have raised concerns over Zakrzewski’s execution, particularly noting that his original jury only voted 7-5 in favor of the death penalty. Under current Florida law, such a split would not qualify for capital punishment.
Opponents also pointed to Zakrzewski’s military background—he served in the U.S. Air Force—as a mitigating factor. His defense filed numerous unsuccessful appeals, including one final request to the U.S. Supreme Court, which was denied on Wednesday.
Florida sets record for death penalty today, but not without scrutiny. Critics argue that the speed and scale of executions may reflect more on political optics than justice. Governor DeSantis, while not commenting on Zakrzewski’s execution directly, has defended the state’s use of the death penalty as “justice for the victims.”
The Florida Department of Corrections confirmed Zakrzewski remained compliant on the day of his execution. He awoke at 5:15 a.m. and was allowed a final meal: fried pork chops, ice cream, and root beer.
As Florida sets record for death penalty today, national attention is expected to intensify, especially with two more executions looming in August and an ongoing legal battle about split jury verdicts and execution protocols.
