A Florida man who was convicted of murdering his wife and two children in 1994 has died, marking the ninth execution in Florida this year. This sets a new record for the state since the reinstatement of the death penalty in the U.S. almost five decades ago.
Edward Zaklzewski, 60, was pronounced dead at 6:12 PM at a prison near Stark, following a lethal injection protocol that included sedatives and drugs intended to stop the heart. Just before his execution, he expressed what seemed like a formal gratitude for the method of his execution, stating, “I have no complaints.” He spoke to 14 witnesses including reporters and prison staff as the procedure began.
In the moments before the drugs were administered, Zaklzewski was lying on a gurney covered with a white sheet. He attempted to connect with those watching, but after the drugs took effect, and even after a prison staff member called out to him, there was no response.
Earlier that day, Zaklzewski had woken up around 5:15 AM and mentioned to a visitor that everything felt compliant as his execution approached. His crimes dated back to June 9, 1994, when he killed his 34-year-old wife, Sylvia, and their five-year-old twins, Edward and Anna. He purportedly told others he would rather murder his family than face the prospect of divorce.
The details from court testimony revealed that he first attacked Sylvia with a blunt object and subsequently strangled her. As for the children, they were killed with a machete, and Sylvia suffered wounds as she apparently tried to help them.
Over the years, Zaklzewski’s legal team made several unsuccessful attempts to appeal his sentence. A final plea to halt the execution was denied by the U.S. Supreme Court just a day prior to his death. Advocates against his execution pointed out his military service as an Air Force veteran and highlighted that the jury had only narrowly recommended his death sentence.
Florida had previously set a one-year execution record with eight in 2014. With the ninth execution now completed, the state is scheduled for more executions in the coming weeks. Notably, this year, Florida has outpaced all other states in executions, compared to Texas and South Carolina, which have each carried out four.
In total, 27 men have been executed across the U.S. this year, with several others scheduled in multiple states. Florida, in particular, continues to be a focal point for discussions around capital punishment.
