Florida: Ronald Heath executed—first of three planned executions in four weeks in the Sunshine State

On Tuesday evening, 64-year-old Ronald Palmer Heath was executed by lethal injection in the state of Florida. He had been on death row for almost four decades for his involvement in the murder of a 30-year-old salesman in 1989.

His accomplice was his younger brother Kenneth, who testified against Heath and in return received a life sentence with the possibility of parole after 25 years, even though he admitted to being the shooter himself.

Ronald Heath was convicted of murder at the age of 16 – a crime he claims to have committed in self-defense, according to Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (FADP). The teenager was placed in adult prisons, where he was subjected to violence and rape. Years later, he was released from prison traumatized and without any support.

Not long after, he and his brother committed the crime – the actual perpetrator could be released, while the one who did not kill the victim was executed on the orders of Governor Ron DeSantis, anti-death penalty activists point out to highlight the injustice of his case.

In his last words, Heath said, “I’m sorry. That’s all I can say. Thank you.” According to the FADP, he wrote in almost every message and letter in recent weeks, “Please take care of my mother!”

It was the first of three executions already planned in Florida within four weeks. Governor DeSantis, who is solely responsible for signing execution orders in Florida, is apparently continuing his series of executions, which claimed the lives of 19 death row inmates in Florida last year, while DeSantis at times set a new execution date every 14 days for four weeks.

Sources:
https://www.tampabay.com/news/crime/2026/02/10/florida-execution-ronald-heath/
https://www.fadp.org/statement-on-the-execution-of-ronald-heath/