Dear friends,

There is a lot to share this week, and much of it is difficult. After Tennessee’s failed execution of Christa Pike, Florida is pressing ahead with two executions on October 13, William Reaves’s execution on October 20, and a newly signed warrant for Jesse Guardado on November 5. One of the men scheduled for next Tuesday, William Thompson, is gravely ill, and we are currently awaiting results of a competency evaluation completed last week. The outrage so many of us feel is a refusal to accept that our state can keep doing this in our names.

Below, we’ve gathered updates on these cases, the work underway, and ways you can help. People across Florida are organizing, speaking out, supporting families, and bringing new people into this work. That gives us reason for hope — and each of us a role to play. Thank you for staying engaged, even when it is painful. We need you with us.

Onward,

Grace Hanna

FADP Executive Director

Tuesday’s Double Execution

Next Tuesday, October 13, Florida plans to execute two men in one day for the second time this year. Many of you have asked about our plans to gather in protest, vigil, and witness, that day. Here’s what we can share:

• FADP and partners will hold two separate vigils outside Florida State Prison, beginning at approximately 11:15 a.m. and 5:15 p.m.
• We have secured a space where people can gather between the two executions. If you plan to attend and need those details, just ask! Please bring a sack lunch.
• Other vigils and protests will take place across the state and online. We will update our website as we learn of additions or changes.
• Interested in organizing a carpool to the prison vigils? Please complete this form, and we’ll help connect you with others who need a ride.

James Robertson (10/13, 12pm)

James Robertson was sentenced to death for the 2008 murder of his cellmate, Frank Hart. Mr. Hart’s life mattered, and his death brought grief to the people who loved him. Mr. Robertson said that after years of living under disciplinary confinement conditions in prison, he committed the murder so that he would be sentenced to death and executed. It is heartbreaking to contemplate the despair behind that decision, and the irreversible loss it caused. His case also asks us to confront a prison system in which someone can come to see execution as his only way out. Mr. Robertson has waived his appeals and is not challenging his execution.

FADP opposes all executions. Out of respect for Mr. Robertson’s wishes, and with a commitment to making prison a place where people can live with dignity and hope, we encourage you to make a small donation to Florida Cares or the Florida Justice Institute in lieu of signing a petition opposing his execution. Florida Cares advocates for humane prison conditions and stronger family connections. The Florida Justice Institute challenges harmful prison conditions through litigation, including class action lawsuits. Supporting their work is one way we can respond to this terrible loss and help people who are still living in the conditions that left Mr. Robertson without hope.

Two options for donating to Florida Cares (EIN: 82-3123930): Mail a check to P.O. Box 211174, West Palm Beach, FL 33421 Via Zelle to [email protected]

Two options for donating to Florida Justice Institute (EIN: 59-1878598): Mail a check to 40 NW Third Street, Ste. 200 Miami, FL 33128 Donate online

William Thompson (10/13, 6pm)

William “Bill” Thompson remains on death watch as we await the results of last week’s competency evaluation. This was requested by his lawyers when they recognized that he did not know what year it was or even that he had been sentenced to death. The stay currently in place is temporary: the Governor was required to pause his execution while the question of his competency is evaluated. It offers no assurance that his execution will be stopped. Florida has never found anyone incompetent to be executed through this process.

Meanwhile, Mr. Thompson remains gravely ill. He cannot walk or care for himself and needs complete assistance with basic daily activities. He also has a Stage IV pressure wound and is recovering from major abdominal surgery that left him with an ostomy bag. While the state considers whether he understands that it intends to kill him, he remains in desperate need of medical care.

William Reaves (10/20, 6pm)

William Reaves’s case is now before the Florida Supreme Court, with his execution still scheduled for October 20. His attorneys have presented newly discovered evidence of police corruption that raises serious questions about the testimony used to convict him of first-degree murder. A witness disclosed this year that he paid bribes to deputies involved in the investigation. Mr. Reaves’s attorneys argue that those relationships helped shape the prosecution’s key witness’s changing account — the testimony used to portray the shooting as premeditated.

Mr. Reaves has acknowledged killing Deputy Richard Raczkoski and has expressed remorse for decades. But responsibility for his death does not resolve the serious questions about how this death sentence was obtained. His jury also never heard the full evidence of his combat experience in Vietnam and the PTSD he brought home. As we await the Court’s decision, we ask you to continue sharing his story and calling for clemency.