Florida conducts 13th execution of 2026, killing William Frances Silvia

Florida executed William Frances Silvia by lethal injection on Tuesday evening, August 18, 2026, marking the state’s 13th execution this year. Silvia, 61, was pronounced dead at 6:11 p.m. at Florida State Prison for the 2006 first-degree murder of his estranged wife, Patricia Silvia, and the attempted murder of her mother, Betty Woodard.

The execution began at 6:00 p.m., when the curtain to the chamber opened. Silvia was strapped to a gurney with an IV line in his arm, and a spiritual adviser sat near his feet, praying. When asked for final words, Silvia apologized, stating, "I’m sorry all this happened. It was an accident. I never meant to hurt her." After the three-drug lethal injection protocol was administered, a prison warden checked Silvia for responsiveness. A medical examiner declared him dead minutes later.

Court records detail that Silvia committed the crimes on September 22, 2006. After being fired from his job, he purchased a shotgun and drove to his mother-in-law’s home near Orlando, where Patricia Silvia had moved following their separation two months earlier. The family was hosting a cookout when Silvia arrived. Authorities say he attempted to reconcile with his...