DeSantis signs 20th death warrant putting Florida on track to set execution record
Courtesy: Florida Department of Corrections
STARKE, Fla. - Florida could break its modern-era execution record after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed his second death warrant in a week on Monday.
Death warrant signed in Walton County murder
What we know:
Jesse Guardado, 64, is scheduled to be executed Nov. 5 at Florida State Prison. He was convicted of killing 75-year-old Jackie Malone on Sept. 13, 2004.
Malone had helped Guardado find housing and work after he left prison. Guardado attacked Malone inside her home during a crack cocaine binge, striking her with a tool, stabbing her, and slitting her throat before taking her purse, jewelry box, briefcase and cellphone. He pleaded guilty and received a death sentence in October 2005.
Questions remain on execution pace
What we don't know:
It is unclear how federal courts or clemency reviews might impact the scheduled timeline as the execution dates approach. While Guardado previously argued his defense attorneys were ineffective during his penalty phase, a three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected that claim in 2024.
Florida execution schedule hits record levels
By the numbers:
Guardado would mark the 20th execution conducted by Florida this year if all scheduled procedures occur. That total surpasses the 19 executions carried out in 2025, which was previously the highest single-year total since capital punishment resumed in 1976.
Three other executions are scheduled over the next two weeks. James Robertson, 63, and William Lee Thompson, 74, are set for execution Oct. 13, followed by William Reaves, 77, on Oct. 20.
Death penalty protocols draw scrutiny
The backstory:
The announcement comes amid national attention on state execution protocols. Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee recently halted executions and ordered an independent review after failing to execute an inmate last Wednesday night.
Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty warned that similar issues could happen in Florida, noting that Thompson is gravely ill. Tennessee uses pentobarbital for lethal injections, while Florida relies on a three-drug protocol of Etomidate, Rocuronium bromide and Potassium acetate after stopping pentobarbital use in 2013 due to supply shortages.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from court records and official executive warrants issued by the office of Gov. Ron DeSantis.