Ron DeSantis Withdraws William Lee Thompson’s Death Warrant, Halting the Florida Execution Set for October 13, 2026

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has withdrawn the death warrant for William Lee Thompson, a 74-year-old death-row prisoner who was scheduled to be executed by lethal injection at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, October 13, 2026. It is the first time DeSantis has withdrawn a death warrant since taking office, according to the Associated Press.

The governor did not give a reason. The withdrawal stops the October 13 execution, but it does not overturn Thompson’s conviction or death sentence, and he has not been released.

Quick Facts: DeSantis Withdraws William Lee Thompson’s Death Warrant

Detail	What is known
Governor	Ron DeSantis (R), Florida
Prisoner	William Lee Thompson, 74
Victim in the underlying case	Sally Ivester (1976, Miami-Dade County)
Original execution date	Tuesday, October 13, 2026, 6 p.m., Florida State Prison
Method	Lethal injection
Warrant signed	September 11, 2026
Withdrawal	Letter to Florida State Prison Warden Randall Polk, Thursday, October 8, 2026
Reason given	None, according to news reports
Executive order on competency	Executive Order 26-192 appointed a three-member psychiatric panel
Panel findings	Not released to the public
Florida Supreme Court	Denied Thompson’s motion for a stay on October 8, hours before the withdrawal
Current status	Still under a death sentence; remains on death row
Other execution the same day	James Robertson, scheduled for October 13 as of October 9 reports

Why Did Ron DeSantis Withdraw William Lee Thompson’s Death Warrant?

The letter to Warden Polk gave no explanation. Reporters and the public have only the surrounding record to go on, and that record should be read carefully.

Here is what is documented:

• Thompson’s lawyers told the governor he has dementia, significant cognitive decline and heart failure, among other medical problems.
• DeSantis’s own executive order said Thompson’s counsel claimed a neuropsychologist who saw him on September 15 concluded he meets the criteria for insanity due to dementia and lacks the capacity to understand that he is about to be executed and why.
• Less than a week after signing the warrant, DeSantis ordered a three-psychiatrist panel to examine Thompson. The panel examined him on or about October 1.
• Officials never released the panel’s findings.
• More than 120 medical professionals publicly criticized Thompson’s treatment, according to Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty.
• Thompson’s lawyers also filed a federal lawsuit seeking medical care.

Here is what is not documented: that the panel found Thompson incompetent, that the governor adopted his lawyers’ arguments, or that any court ruled him incompetent. The Florida Supreme Court denied his stay motion on the same day. This article reports the defense’s claims as claims.

The Associated Press also noted the timing, which came days after an unsuccessful execution attempt involving Christa Pike in Tennessee, after which Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee halted executions. DeSantis’s letter does not mention it, so the connection is context, not a confirmed reason.

His attorney, Bri Lacy, said in an email that Thompson “suffers from dementia and his health is failing,” and asked that the Florida Department of Corrections move him to an adequate medical facility.

Who Is William Lee Thompson, and What Was He Convicted Of?

Thompson was sentenced to death for the March 30, 1976 kidnapping and murder of Sally Ivester in Dade County, now Miami-Dade County, along with related charges that included sexual battery. According to court records and local reporting, Thompson and others were in a motel room, and the women with them were pressed to get money from their families. Ivester obtained only $25 and was severely beaten and assaulted. She died of internal bleeding and multiple injuries.

Thompson was arrested two days later and pleaded guilty, and he received a death sentence on June 17, 1976. The Florida Supreme Court reversed in 1977, allowing him to withdraw the plea. He pleaded guilty again in September 1978 and was again sentenced to death. A later resentencing produced a 7-5 jury recommendation for death, which was upheld on direct appeal.

That history explains the conviction. It does not answer the separate question the withdrawal raises: whether a person with severe cognitive decline can lawfully be executed.

What Does Florida Law Say About Death Warrants and Competency to Be Executed?

Florida has statutes and a court rule that apply here.

• Fla. Stat. § 922.052 covers the governor’s role in issuing death warrants.
• Fla. Stat. § 922.105 governs the method of execution, which is lethal injection unless the prisoner chooses electrocution.
• Fla. Stat. § 922.07 sets out what happens when a prisoner under a death warrant may be insane. The governor appoints a commission of three psychiatrists to examine the prisoner, and the governor makes the determination after receiving their report.
• Fla. R. Crim. P. 3.811 sets the standard. A prisoner is not competent to be executed if he lacks the mental capacity to understand the fact of the impending execution and the reason for it. Rule 3.812 addresses what follows after the governor’s determination.
• Article IV, Section 8 of the Florida Constitution gives the governor the executive clemency power.

In practice, the governor, not a judge, decides whether to sign or withdraw a warrant. A court can still enter a stay, and courts review competency claims after the governor’s determination. Here, the Florida Supreme Court denied the stay request, and no court has ruled that Thompson is incompetent to be executed.

Can a Person With Dementia Be Executed Under the Eighth Amendment?

Not automatically either way. Three U.S. Supreme Court cases set the framework:

• Ford v. Wainwright, 477 U.S. 399 (1986): a Florida case holding that the Eighth Amendment bars executing a prisoner who is insane.
• Panetti v. Quarterman, 551 U.S. 930 (2007): the prisoner must have a rational understanding of the reason for the execution, not just a superficial awareness of it.
• Madison v. Alabama, 586 U.S. 265 (2019): dementia or memory loss does not by itself bar execution. The question is whether the prisoner can rationally understand why the state is executing him. A prisoner who cannot remember his crime may still be competent, and a prisoner with dementia may be found incompetent if he cannot understand the punishment.

So a dementia diagnosis alone does not decide the question. Courts and, in Florida, the governor look at the specific evidence about what the prisoner understands. Thompson’s lawyers say the evidence shows he does not understand. The state has not publicly said otherwise or released its panel’s findings.

Related article: Erie, Pennsylvania, Shooting, Nine Reported Dead, Including Two Children, After Perry Street Standoff

Does Withdrawing the Death Warrant Overturn William Thompson’s Death Sentence?

No. A withdrawal cancels the execution authorized by that warrant. It does not vacate the conviction, reduce the sentence, or release him.

Associated Press reporting indicates Thompson remains on Florida’s death row. A governor could sign a new warrant later, and a future warrant would restart the legal process, including new competency claims. No public source reviewed says the sentence has been commuted.

Marsy’s Law (Article I, Section 16 of the Florida Constitution) gives crime victims’ families rights to information and to be heard in proceedings, but it does not give them any role in the governor’s decision to sign or withdraw a warrant.

What Happens to William Thompson Now?

Thompson’s lawyers have asked that he be moved to a medical facility. Where he will be held and what care he will get is up to the Florida Department of Corrections and any court orders, and no public announcement has said. His federal lawsuit over medical care and a separate death-penalty appeal in the Florida Supreme Court (reported under case no. SC2026-1465) may continue. A separate emergency petition (SC2026-1419) was dismissed on September 18, a ruling that addressed jurisdiction and exhaustion of remedies, not whether Thompson was healthy or competent.

Will Florida Still Execute James Robertson on October 13?

As of October 9 reports, yes. James Robertson, 63, is scheduled to be executed the same day for the 2008 strangling of his cellmate Frank Hart at Charlotte Correctional Institution. Reports say he pleaded guilty and waived appeals. His case is separate, and withdrawing Thompson’s warrant does not affect it. Check the Florida Department of Corrections for the latest status, since execution schedules can change.

For background on execution methods and constitutional challenges, read Is Lethal Injection Still Legal in the United States? What US Law Says in 2026.

Timeline: Thompson Death Warrant, Competency Review and Withdrawal

Date	Event
March 30, 1976	Sally Ivester killed in Dade County
June 17, 1976	Thompson pleads guilty and receives first death sentence
1977	Florida Supreme Court reverses; Thompson allowed to withdraw plea
September 1978	Thompson pleads guilty again and receives a second death sentence
September 11, 2026	DeSantis signs death warrant for October 13
September 15, 2026	Neuropsychologist examines Thompson, according to the defense
About one week after the warrant	DeSantis issues Executive Order 26-192 appointing a three-psychiatrist panel
September 18, 2026	Florida Supreme Court dismisses emergency petition SC2026-1419
About October 1, 2026	Panel examines Thompson; findings not released
Thursday, October 8, 2026	Florida Supreme Court denies stay; DeSantis sends withdrawal letter to Warden Polk
October 9, 2026	AP and other outlets report it is the first warrant DeSantis has withdrawn
October 13, 2026	Thompson execution will not proceed under the withdrawn warrant

Frequently Asked Questions About DeSantis and William Lee Thompson’s Death Warrant

Why did Ron DeSantis withdraw William Thompson’s death warrant?

He did not say. The letter to Warden Randall Polk gave no reason. The withdrawal followed claims by Thompson’s lawyers that he has dementia and heart failure, and a psychiatric evaluation the governor ordered, but no official source has confirmed the reason.

Is this the first time DeSantis has withdrawn a death warrant?

Yes, according to the Associated Press.

Was William Thompson found incompetent to be executed?

No court has made that finding. The findings of the three-psychiatrist panel were never released.

Has William Thompson been released or had his sentence overturned?

No. He remains on death row under his death sentence.

Can Florida issue another death warrant for William Thompson?

Legally, a governor could. Nothing in the public record says one is planned.

Does dementia automatically prevent an execution?

No. Under Madison v. Alabama, the question is whether the prisoner rationally understands the reason for the execution, not the diagnosis alone.

What is Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.811?

It is the rule that sets the competency standard for execution in Florida: the prisoner must understand the fact of the impending execution and the reason for it.

Who was Sally Ivester?

She was the victim in the 1976 Miami-Dade County case that led to Thompson’s death sentence.

Is James Robertson’s execution still scheduled for October 13?

As of October 9 reports, yes. Check the Florida Department of Corrections for updates.

Is lethal injection legal in Florida?

Yes, under Fla. Stat. § 922.105, subject to constitutional challenge in individual cases.

Sources and Verification Notes

1. Associated Press, “Florida execution called off after DeSantis withdraws death warrant for the first time,” October 9, 2026: https://abcnews.com/US/wireStory/florida-execution-called-off-after-desantis-withdraws-death-137134791
2. CBS Miami, “Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis cancels execution of 74-year-old man convicted in Miami-Dade murder”: https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/florida-gov-desantis-cancels-execution-william-lee-thompson/
3. News4Jax / News Service of Florida, “DeSantis withdraws death warrant for 74-year-old man who was set to be executed Tuesday,” October 9, 2026: https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2026/10/09/desantis-withdraws-death-warrant-for-74-year-old-man-who-was-set-to-be-executed-tuesday/
4. Fox 13, “DeSantis cancels execution of Florida inmate claiming dementia”: https://www.fox13news.com/news/desantis-cancels-execution-florida-inmate-claiming-dementia
5. WWSB / My Suncoast, “DeSantis cancels Florida inmate’s execution scheduled for Tuesday evening,” October 8, 2026: https://www.mysuncoast.com/2026/10/08/desantis-cancels-florida-inmates-execution-scheduled-tuesday-evening/
6. Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, “Death Warrant for William Thompson Withdrawn”: https://www.fadp.org/death-warrant-for-william-thompson-withdrawn/
7. Florida Supreme Court, Thompson v. State, cases SC2026-1419 and SC2026-1465, and the 2022 opinion in SC20-1847.
8. Law cited: Fla. Stat. §§ 922.052, 922.07, 922.105; Fla. R. Crim. P. 3.811, 3.812; Fla. Const. art. I, § 16 and art. IV, § 8; Ford v. Wainwright, 477 U.S. 399 (1986); Panetti v. Quarterman, 551 U.S. 930 (2007); Madison v. Alabama, 586 U.S. 265 (2019).

Disclaimer: This article is general information, not legal advice.

Researched and written by Israr Ahmad, legal content researcher and founder of AllAboutLawyer.com. All facts verified against the reporting of the Associated Press, CBS Miami, News4Jax/News Service of Florida, Fox 13, WWSB and Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, as of October 10, 2026. Last Updated: October 10, 2026.

Researched and written by Israr Ahmad, Legal Content Researcher | Last Updated: October 10, 2026