In just two days, the State of Florida plans to carry out its ninth execution this year. Edward ‘Zak’ Zakrzewski is set to be executed at 6 pm on Thursday July 31. And just minutes before this email was sent, Governor DeSantis signed yet another death warrant – continuing his unprecedented execution spree. Curtis Windom is scheduled to be executed on Thursday, August 28 at 6 pm ET. Now, three men on Florida’s death row will face execution in the span of one month. We will share more details about Curtis in the coming days.
Coming back to Zak: the facts of his crime are horrific. We usually do not focus on the details because the media so often fixates on the violence alone. It’s not that the facts don’t matter – Zak would not be facing execution if not for the crimes he committed.
But even with that reality, his jury reached a striking conclusion. On two counts, five jurors believed Zak should serve life without parole. And on the third count, the jury did recommend life without parole – by a split vote of six to six. Nowhere in the country, including in current day Florida, with the lowest in the nation threshold for death, could Zak be eligible for execution.
We share this because supporters of the death penalty often claim it is reserved only for the “worst of the worst” cases. Looking at just the facts alone, Zak’s case might appear to fall under that umbrella. Yet despite the horrific facts, nearly half his jury concluded that Zak was not the worst of the worst. That he deserved to live, separated from society, for the rest of his life.
That outcome lays bare the truth: Florida’s death penalty is not the careful, fair, or consistent system the State pretends it to be. It is arbitrary. It is unjust. And Zak’s case exposes it for what it truly is.
Florida’s death penalty is out of control and the silence from our officials is deafening. It is essential that we continue to speak up, to fight back, and to show up for the people being executed. We will deliver your petition signatures for Zak to the Governor tomorrow, so please take a moment to sign and share. Once you’ve signed, please send a message to Governor DeSantis and tell him to stop Zak’s execution.
We will be across from Florida State Prison beginning at 5 pm ET on Thursday if the execution proceeds. Please join us there, online, or at one of the many events happening across the state. Your presence is a refusal to accept this violence. It is a lifeline for Zak, for his loved ones, for his legal team, and for every person fighting to end the machinery of death in our state.
Onward,
FADP Team
P.S. Kayle Bates’ execution is also set for Tuesday, August 19 at 6 pm ET. After you’ve taken action for Zak, please sign Kayle’s petition.