DeSantis withdraws death warrant for first time, halting Florida execution

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has withdrawn the death warrant for William Lee Thompson, 74, calling off his execution by lethal injection, which had been scheduled for Tuesday. DeSantis signed the withdrawal letter, addressed to Florida State Prison Warden Randall Polk, on Thursday and did not give a reason in it. The Associated Press, The Guardian and The Hill reported it is the first time he has withdrawn a death warrant since taking office. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 6 , 7 ]

Thompson was sentenced to death for the 1976 murder and kidnapping of Sally Ivester, whom The Hill described as 23 years old. The New York Post reported that he was first put on death row in 1976, that his sentence was overturned and reimposed, that he was spared from execution twice in the 1980s and that he has been on death row since 1989. DeSantis signed his death warrant on Sept. 11. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 6 , 7 ]

Thompson's lawyers say he suffers from dementia, and CBS News reported that his counsel and death penalty opponents have said his health problems include dementia and heart failure. His attorney, named as Brittney Lacy by the New York Post and Bri Lacy by the AP, said in an email: "Mr. Thompson suffers from dementia and his health is failing — both of which were gravely concerning with an impending execution." She said she hoped the Florida Department of Corrections would relocate him to an adequate medical facility. The New York Post reported that Florida neuropsychologist Robert Ouaou found Thompson "meets the criteria for insanity due to his dementia and significant cognitive decline." [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 6 ]

CBS News reported that less than a week after issuing the warrant, DeSantis ordered a three-member panel of psychiatrists to examine Thompson's mental condition in executive order 26-192, with the examination set for Oct. 1 and a report due the next day. The AP reported that DeSantis had temporarily stayed the execution last month pending a psychiatric evaluation, though prison officials were still preparing for it. Hours before DeSantis acted, the Florida Supreme Court denied Thompson's motion for a stay, according to CBS. Grace Hanna, executive director of Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, said officials never released the findings of the evaluation or explained the withdrawal. [ 2 , 3 ]

A second execution set for Tuesday is still scheduled. James Robertson, 63, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and waived all appeals in the 2008 strangling of his cellmate Frank Hart at Charlotte Correctional Institution. The AP reported that Thompson will remain on Florida's death row. [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]

The decision comes amid increased attention on the death penalty in the US. In Tennessee, Christa Pike survived an execution attempt in which she received two lethal doses of pentobarbital; The Guardian dated it to 30 September. The Pentagon announced it would livestream the firing squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan. The Hill reported that Florida carried out 19 executions in 2025 and 16 so far in 2026. [ 3 , 4 , 6 , 7 ]