Florida Governor Cancels Execution of 74-Year-Old Inmate Amid Dementia Concerns

Governor Ron DeSantis signed a letter on Thursday withdrawing the death warrant for William Lee Thompson, a 74-year-old inmate scheduled for lethal injection on Friday. The decision marks the first time the governor has rescinded a death warrant during his eight-year tenure. Thompson, convicted of a 1976 murder and kidnapping, has been diagnosed with dementia, and his attorneys argued he is incompetent for execution.

"He did not know where he was, stated that ‘Bush’ was the president, and, at times, did not even recognize that he had been sentenced to death," said Grace Hanna, executive director of Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, referencing a recent psychiatric evaluation.

Thompson’s lawyer, Bri Lacy, expressed relief that the warrant was withdrawn and called for appropriate medical care for his client.

"Mr Thompson suffers from dementia and his health is failing – both of which were gravely concerning with an impending execution," Lacy wrote.

The governor did not provide a reason for the withdrawal, and a spokesperson for DeSantis did not respond to requests for comment. Florida officials continue to prepare for a second execution scheduled for the same day, involving James Robertson, 63, who waived his appeals.

The move comes amid heightened scrutiny of capital punishment in the United States following a recent failed lethal injection in Tennessee and a Pentagon announcement to livestream a firing-squad execution. Florida carried out 19 executions last year, a state record since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976.