Starke, FL — Edward Zakrzewski, a man convicted of brutally killing his wife and two young children in 1994, was executed by lethal injection Thursday evening at Florida State Prison, becoming the ninth person put to death in Florida this year—the highest in a single year since the state reinstated the death penalty in 1976.
Final Words and Execution Details
Zakrzewski, executed at 6:12 p.m., gave chilling final words before the lethal injection began.
“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 said as the curtain lifted.
He also recited part of a poem while 14 witnesses, including members of the media and state prison staff, observed. Shortly after the three-drug cocktail was administered, Zakrzewski showed no response to verbal and physical checks and was pronounced dead.
Convicted of Killing Family Amid Divorce Threat
Zakrzewski, a U.S. Air Force veteran, was convicted of the 1994 murders of his 34-year-old wife Sylvia, and their children Edward, 7, and Anna, 5, in Okaloosa County, located in Florida’s Panhandle.
Trial testimony revealed that Zakrzewski killed his family after his wife threatened to divorce him. Witnesses testified that he had expressed intentions to murder his family rather than go through a separation.
Controversy Over Jury Split and Appeals
Opponents of the execution pointed out that Zakrzewski’s jury returned a 7-5 recommendation in favor of death — a narrow margin that would not meet Florida’s current threshold for imposing capital punishment under revised laws.
Despite multiple appeals over the years, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected Zakrzewski’s final appeal just one day before his scheduled execution. Governor Ron DeSantis signed his death warrant earlier this month.
Florida Breaks Execution Record in 2025
Zakrzewski’s death marks the ninth execution in Florida in 2025, surpassing the previous annual high of eight set in 2014. Florida has executed more people this year than any other U.S. state.
- Texas and South Carolina follow with four executions each.
- A 10th execution is scheduled for August 19 (Kayle Bates).
- An 11th is scheduled for August 28 (Curtis Windom).
Until Thursday, 26 people had been executed in the U.S. in 2025, with 11 more executions scheduled across seven states before year’s end.
Opposition to the Death Penalty Remains Vocal
The Action Network organized a last-minute campaign urging residents to contact Governor DeSantis in hopes of securing a stay.
“Justice does not require death. This execution will not make us safer, it will simply add another act of violence to an already tragic story,” the group said in a prepared script.
No members of Zakrzewski’s victims’ family spoke to reporters following the execution.
Florida’s Execution Protocol
The state administers a three-drug lethal injection:
- Etomidate (sedative),
- Rocuronium bromide (paralytic),
- Potassium acetate (cardiac arrest inducer),
as outlined by the Florida Department of Corrections.
Do you believe Florida’s rising execution count reflects justice—or is it time to reconsider the role of capital punishment in America? Join the conversation now at NewYorkDailyGazette.com and share your perspective on the death penalty and criminal justice reform.
