Florida Executes Ninth Inmate in Record-Breaking Year for Death Penalty

Edward Zakrzewski was executed by lethal injection in Florida for the brutal 1994 murders of his wife Sylvia and their two young children, marking the ninth execution in Florida this year and setting a state record since the death penalty was reinstated. Zakrzewski killed his family after his wife sought a divorce, initially attacking her with a crowbar and strangling her with a rope before murdering their children with a machete. Following the crime, he fled to Hawaii, changed his identity, and lived on a religious commune before surrendering to police after being recognized. At his execution, Zakrzewski made a sarcastic final statement thanking the state for a "cold, calculated, clean, humane, efficient" death and recited lines from a poem. Florida has executed more inmates than any other state in 2025, with two additional executions scheduled for August, reflecting a renewed emphasis on capital punishment under Governor Ron DeSantis. This surge positions Florida to surpass Texas in executions for the first time since 1984, amid calls to provide closure to families affected by violent crimes.