US Edition
Man convicted of killing a traveling salesman scheduled for 1st Florida execution of 2026
Ronald Heath's execution marks Florida's first in 2026 after a record 19 executions in 2025; appeals cited mental health and protocol issues but were denied.
- On Tuesday, Ronald Palmer Heath, 64, is scheduled to receive a three-drug lethal injection starting at 6 p.m. at Florida State Prison near Starke, Florida's first scheduled execution of 2026 after a record 19 last year.
- Heath was convicted in 1990 of first-degree murder, robbery with a deadly weapon and related charges in the May 1989 killing of Michael Sheridan after meeting him at a Gainesville bar.
- The Florida Supreme Court denied Heath's appeals last week after his attorneys argued mismanagement of death-penalty protocols, a secretive state clemency process, and jurors' unanimity claims.
- Two more Florida executions are already scheduled while Florida clergy tolled bells and activists plan protests, as officials press ahead with the death penalty.
- Heath still has similar appeals pending before the U.S. Supreme Court, which could prompt further federal review as 47 people were executed in the U.S. in 2025.
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Killer’s final words as he’s put to death in Florida’s ongoing ‘execution spree’
Convicted death row killer Ronald Palmer Heath used his final moments to utter just nine word: ‘I’m sorry. That’s all I can say. Thank you.’ Minutes later, at 6.12pm on Tuesday, he was pronounced dead at Florida State Prison near Starke. The 64-year-old (pictured) had been strapped to a gurney with an IV in his arm when the curtain rose at 6pm. He showed little outward reaction as the cocktail of three drugs were administered, closing his eyes a…
The Scoop: Wed. Feb. 11, 2026 Tampa Bay and Florida headlines by WMNF
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Ronald Palmer Heath, 64, was executed in Florida on Tuesday after being sentenced to death in 1990 for the murder of traveling salesman Michael Sheridan during a robbery. Florida carried out a record 19 executions last year.
Ronald Palmer Heath, 64, was executed in Florida on Tuesday, US media reported. It was the first execution in Florida, which carried out a record 19 executions last year, ABC television reported.
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