Governor Ron DeSantis withdrew a death warrant for William Lee Thompson, 74, who had been scheduled for execution by lethal injection on Tuesday. The withdrawal represents the first time DeSantis has rescinded a death warrant during his nearly eight years as governor.
DeSantis signed the letter withdrawing the warrant on Thursday without providing an explanation for the decision. Thompson had been previously evaluated for a psychiatric assessment last month after a temporary stay was issued. Thompson’s legal representatives have stated that he suffers from dementia and is incompetent for execution, citing his inability to recognize his location, confusion about the current sitting president, and failure to recall his death sentence.
Grace Hanna, executive director of Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, noted that Thompson’s attorneys had raised concerns about his competency with state officials. Thompson’s attorney, Bri Lacy, expressed relief at the outcome and stated hope that the inmate would be relocated to an appropriate medical facility for proper care.
The withdrawal comes amid heightened national and international attention on capital punishment procedures in the United States. The decision follows a problematic execution in Tennessee earlier in the week, when inmate Christa Pike survived two lethal injections before being hospitalized. Additionally, the Pentagon announced plans to livestream a military execution by firing squad.
A second Florida execution remains scheduled for Tuesday, with inmate James Robertson, 63, set to be executed for a first-degree murder conviction. Thompson will remain on Florida’s death row, though officials indicated a new death warrant could potentially be issued in the future.
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