The family of a Florida murder victim gifted Governor Ron DeSantis personalized Sharpie pens, his preferred writing instrument for signing death warrants, in an apparent effort to hasten the execution of the convicted killer. The death of Ronald Heath, 64, by lethal injection in February followed a surge in executions under DeSantis, who has positioned Florida as the national leader in capital punishment.
Florida is the only state where the governor possesses the unilateral authority to set execution dates for death row inmates. Under DeSantis, Florida has carried out 19 executions in 2025, a figure that constitutes 40 percent of all executions nationwide and surpasses the state's previous annual record of 11 set in 1936. Heath was convicted of the 1989 murder of traveling salesman Michael Sheridan and had exhausted his appeals prior to his execution.
The practice of gifting DeSantis custom blue Sharpies, a move reportedly aimed at influencing his decisions, underscores the governor's assertive stance on capital punishment as he prepares to leave office in January 2027 due to term limits. Insiders have speculated about his potential aspirations for a role such as U.S. Attorney General, a position that aligns with outspoken support for the death penalty.
In contrast to Florida's high execution rate, at least 33 other states have either abolished capital punishment or have not carried out an execution in at least a decade. Nationwide, the number of individuals sentenced to death has also significantly decreased, from 307 in 1995 to just 23 last year, according to data from the Death Penalty Information Center.
Experts suggest that DeSantis has exercised his power over execution dates in an unpredictable manner, leaving attorneys and victims' families attempting to navigate his decision-making process. The duration an inmate has spent on death row does not appear to be a determining factor, leading to speculation about how the governor selects individuals for execution.
Maria DeLiberato, an attorney with the ACLU's Capital Punishment Project, likened the process to an arbitrary selection. "He could be deciding who is next to die by throwing darts at a list of names, or spinning a roulette wheel," DeLiberato told The New York Times.
Recent executions have also drawn attention due to complications with lethal injection drugs. The execution of Joe Nathan James in 2022 became the longest in U.S. history due to such issues. Following Heath's execution in February, Billy Kearse's execution reportedly took twice as long as usual, with attorneys for another inmate, Chadwick Willacy, requesting records about the state's execution protocols. Shortly after this request, DeSantis signed Willacy's death warrant.
These instances have raised concerns that legal actions, such as filing appeals, might inadvertently draw the governor's attention and lead to accelerated execution dates for inmates. DeSantis has defended his administration's approach, stating that meeting with victims' families has reinforced his commitment to justice. "Justice delayed is justice denied," DeSantis told The New York Times. "We’re doing it to be able to bring justice to the victims’ families."