Florida Executes Man For Setting Neighbor On Fire During 1990 Burglary
Florida executed Chadwick Scott Willacy for setting his neighbor on fire during a 1990 burglary.
Officials said the attack happened inside the woman's home during a burglary and that she was bound, struck, and doused with gasoline before being set alight. The autopsy found the victim died from smoke inhalation and investigators reported a skull fracture, failed strangulation attempt, and bindings of wire and tape. Police also tied Willacy to the scene with fingerprints on a fan and gas can, recovered the victim's property and bloodstained clothes at his home, and said witnesses saw him near the car.
Willacy was executed by a three-drug lethal injection at Florida State Prison near Starke on April 21, 2026, with officials pronouncing death at 6:15 p.m. Inside the chamber officials said the curtain rose at 6:00 p.m., the injection began at 6:02 p.m., and staff checked responsiveness several times before the pronouncement. The U.S. Supreme Court denied his final appeal without comment on the afternoon of the execution, and the Florida Supreme Court had earlier rejected appeals. Willacy made a final statement maintaining his innocence, apologizing to the victim's family, and speaking to fellow death-row prisoners, according to officials and news reports. His case has a long sentencing history including a 1994 state court order for resentencing and a later jury recommendation for death. The execution was Florida's fifth of 2026 and follows the state's record 19 executions in 2025, a rate that drew national attention.
Early reporting announced the scheduled execution and legal fights, while later articles provided on-the-record details of the chamber timeline and Willacy's last words. Broadcast outlets and wire services such as PBS, CBS and Fox led the post-execution coverage by reporting precise times, the autopsy finding of smoke inhalation, and his full final statement. On social platforms a CBS post summarized the timeline and his remarks, while comments reflected a mix of calls for justice and questions about the death penalty's use.
📌 Key Facts
- Florida executed Chadwick Scott Willacy by a three-drug lethal injection at Florida State Prison near Starke on April 21, 2026; officials reported the chamber curtain rose at 6:00 p.m., the injection began at 6:02 p.m., and death was pronounced at 6:15 p.m.
- Willacy used his final statement to maintain his innocence, apologized to the victim’s family, addressed fellow death-row prisoners, and said, 'I hope this brings you peace. If it does, that’s good. But this is not right,' also insisting he would never kill his friend.
- The underlying crime occurred in 1990 during a home burglary: the victim (reported by outlets with the last name Sather) was allegedly struck (skull fracture), partially strangled with a telephone cord, bound with wire and tape, doused with gasoline and set on fire; the autopsy found smoke inhalation as the cause of death, indicating she was alive when set ablaze.
- Investigative details reported include fingerprints matching Willacy on a fan and gas can, witnesses who saw him near and in the victim’s car, ATM withdrawals tied to the case, a girlfriend who found the victim’s check register in his trash, and recovery of the victim’s property and bloodstained clothes at his home.
- Willacy’s capital-sentencing history included an initial 9-3 jury recommendation for death, a Florida Supreme Court-ordered resentencing in 1994, and a 1995 resentencing after which a jury recommended death 11-1; recent appeals were rejected by the Florida Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court denied his final appeal without comment on the afternoon of the execution.
- The execution was placed in broader context: it was Florida’s fifth execution in 2026; Florida led U.S. states with 19 executions in 2025 (47 executions nationwide in 2025), and another Florida execution (James Ernest Hitchcock) was scheduled for April 30, 2026.
📰 Source Timeline (5)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Confirms precise execution timeline in the chamber: curtain up at 6:00 p.m., injection beginning at 6:02 p.m., and death pronounced at 6:15 p.m.
- Includes Willacy's final statement in more complete form, including his apology to family and his insistence he would never kill his friend.
- Details the autopsy finding that Sather died from smoke inhalation, proving she was alive when she was set on fire.
- Reiterates crime specifics: skull fracture from blunt-force blow, binding with wire and tape, failed strangulation attempt with telephone cord, and use of gasoline.
- Restates procedural history: Florida Supreme Court-ordered resentencing in 1994 and 1995 resentencing with an 11-1 jury recommendation for death.
- Adds national context on executions in 2025, noting 47 U.S. executions and Florida leading with 19, plus upcoming April 30 execution of James Ernest Hitchcock.
- Willacy's final statement included: 'To the victim’s family, I hope this brings you peace. If it does, that’s good. But this is not right,' maintaining his innocence.
- Article repeats the factual narrative of the crime with detail on the attack, ATM withdrawals, disabling smoke detectors, gasoline, fan placement, and autopsy finding of smoke inhalation as cause of death.
- Confirms investigative details: Willacy's fingerprints on the fan and gas can, witness sightings of him near and in the victim's car, girlfriend finding the victim's check register in his trash, and recovery of victim's property and bloodstained clothes at his home.
- Confirms that Florida executed Chadwick Scott Willacy by three-drug lethal injection at 6:15 p.m. on April 21, 2026, at Florida State Prison near Starke.
- Reports Willacy’s final statement, including his maintained claim of innocence and his remarks to the victim’s family and fellow death-row prisoners.
- Details the sequence inside the chamber, including the curtain rising at 6:00 p.m., injection starting at 6:02 p.m., and officials checking responsiveness before pronouncing death.
- Recounts specific facts of the underlying 1990 crime, including the attempted strangulation, binding with wire and tape, and autopsy finding that the victim died from smoke inhalation.
- Notes this is Florida's fifth execution in 2026 and places it in context of the state’s record 19 executions in 2025 under Governor Ron DeSantis.
- States that the U.S. Supreme Court denied Willacy's final appeal without comment on the afternoon of the execution; the Florida Supreme Court had also rejected recent appeals.
- Summarizes prior sentencing history, including the original 9-3 death recommendation, the 1994 Florida Supreme Court-ordered resentencing, and the later 11-1 jury recommendation for death.