Governor Ron DeSantis withdrew the death warrant for William Lee Thompson this week, canceling the 74-year-old’s execution that had been scheduled for 6 p.m. on October 13th. The decision came in a letter to the prison warden with no explanation attached. Thompson had been set to become the second Florida inmate executed that day, a rare occurrence in the state.
Thompson’s attorneys had argued that advanced dementia left him incompetent to be executed, and his health had been declining. Whether that factored into the governor’s decision is unknown. What is clear is that the cancellation does not affect James Robertson, 63, who remains scheduled for execution at noon that same day for the 2008 killing of his cellmate, Frank Hart, at Charlotte Correctional Institution.
The situation raises difficult questions about competency, dementia, and how the state handles death row cases involving aging and illness. For Suncoast families who have watched loved ones struggle with dementia, the story may hit close to home. We want to hear from you: should the governor be required to explain decisions like this one?
