Yesterday, Air Force Veteran Bill Kissinger delivered thousands of petition signatures in person to Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida Board of Executive Clemency on behalf of Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (FADP) and Death Penalty Action (DPA). Today, we followed up electronically with even more signatures, including hundreds from Catholic Mobilizing Network (CMN), amplifying the urgent call for mercy.
The petitions demand that Governor DeSantis use his sole authority to halt the scheduled execution of Air Force veteran Edward “Zak” Zakrzewski, set to take place tonight at Florida State Prison.
Zak’s case is a stark example of how Florida’s death penalty system ignores critical mitigating factors—his exemplary military service, the trauma and mental strain he endured, and the fact that nearly half of his jury voted for life. Yet, despite these realities, the state is prepared to carry out this irreversible act of violence.
By delivering these petitions, we honor the voices of thousands across Florida and the nation who reject the notion that killing in the name of justice makes us safer. Tonight’s planned execution is not justice—it is cruelty, carried out in our names and with our tax dollars.
We will continue to stand with those calling for an end to executions in Florida, and for a system rooted not in vengeance, but in fairness, compassion, and real safety.