Willacy was put to death for the brutal murder of Marlys Sather on September 5, 1990. Sather had returned home for lunch and found Willacy burglarizing her residence. According to investigators, Willacy struck her in the head with a blunt object, fracturing her skull, then bound her hands and ankles with wire and tape. He attempted to strangle her with a telephone cord, doused her in gasoline, and set her on fire. An autopsy determined Sather died from smoke inhalation, indicating she was alive when ignited. Willacy stole Sather's car and other items from her home and used her ATM card to steal cash, officials said. When Sather failed to return from her break, her employer called her family, and her son-in-law discovered her body.
Willacy was convicted in 1991 of first-degree murder, burglary, robbery, and arson, and a jury recommended death by a 9-3 vote. In 1994, the Florida Supreme Court ordered a new sentencing because the trial judge failed to allow defense attorneys to rehabilitate a potential juror who indicated she could not recommend the death penalty. Willacy was resentenced to death in 1995 on an 11-1 recommendation from a new jury.
On the day of his execution, Willacy awoke at 5 am and remained compliant as the execution hour approached, according to Department of Corrections spokesman Jordan Kirkland. He had a last meal including chicken, tater tots, ice cream, and pie, and received visits from his mother, two sisters, and a cousin, but did not meet with a spiritual adviser. The US Supreme Court denied Willacy's final appeal without comment on Tuesday afternoon.
This marks Florida's fifth execution of 2026, following 19 executions in the state in 2025. Republican Governor Ron DeSantis oversaw more executions in 2025 than any other Florida governor since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976. The previous record for executions in Florida was set in 2014 with eight executions.
Nationally, a total of 47 people were executed in the US in 2025, with three executions by firing squad and five by nitrogen hypoxia. Willacy had made claims based on the state's refusal to grant public records requests about executions and lethal injection.