Last night, Gov. DeSantis signed the first execution warrant of 2026. Ronald Palmer Heath is scheduled to be executed at 6 pm on Tuesday, February 10 for the 1989 murder of Michael Sheridan in Alachua County.
If the execution proceeds, it will mark the 29th execution under Gov. Ron DeSantis — part of an unprecedented escalation in Florida’s use of the death penalty. The murder of Michael Sheridan was a tragedy, and his loss is still being grieved to this day. But, killing Ronnie will not bring Michael back.
We’ll have more to share about Ronnie and his case in the coming days. For now, here are the key facts to know: Ronnie was sentenced to death by a nonunanimous jury, with two jurors agreeing that he should be sentenced to life in prison. His co-defendant, his brother Kenneth, became a key witness for the State, testifying against Ronald in hopes of saving his own life. Kenneth was sentenced to life imprisonment with eligibility for parole after twenty-five years. Ronnie is set to be executed in less than a month.
This execution comes on the heels of what was an exceptionally brutal year in Florida’s capital punishment system. 19 men were executed, leaving behind innumerable grieving loved ones. At FADP, we documented the year in our annual report, We, The People. This Monday, January 12 at 7 pm EST we’ll review the report’s key findings and discuss what we expect in the year ahead.
Please register to join the webinar live, or to receive a recording afterward.
Finally, please don’t forget that Florida isn’t the only actively executing state. Texas and Oklahoma both have executions scheduled this month, and our friends to the north in Alabama have just launched a clemency campaign for Charles “Sonny” Burton. Our work here in Florida is not siloed. The death penalty system degrades all of us, and we hope you’ll consider taking a moment to support our partners.
I wish I weren’t writing under these circumstances. For a moment, I hoped this year might unfold differently than the last. But what we can do — and what we’ve learned to do well — is take the next right step. The work of the past year has strengthened our community, sharpened our advocacy, and better prepared us for what’s ahead. So we move forward together, steady and determined, into another year of fighting for life.
We’re on the right side of history, even when progress moves more slowly than we’d like. Thank you for using your voice, resources, and gifts to push back
Onward and upwards,
Grace
P.S. Florida’s 60-day legislative session begins on Tuesday. We’re monitoring several bills, and I’m sure we’ll need your support! Keep an eye out for any action alerts from us, especially if you live in Tallahassee or the surrounding areas.