DeSantis withdraws death warrant for dementia-stricken killer days before execution in Florida first

From the Newshound archive · first published 9 October 2026 · last updated 10 October 2026.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has pulled the death warrant for William Lee Thompson, 74, with under a week left before his scheduled lethal injection — the first such action in nearly eight years of his governorship. A neuropsychologist found that Thompson believed "Bush" was president and had no understanding that he was on death row. The move comes weeks after Tennessee's botched execution of Christa Pike, who survived two lethal injections before regaining consciousness in hospital.

Thompson was convicted of the 1976 torture and murder of Sally Ivester, who was beaten with a chain-link belt, burned with cigarettes and killed for a $25 ransom.

DeSantis gave no public explanation for the decision, which came shortly after the Florida Supreme Court had rejected Thompson's own request for a stay of execution.

A separate Florida execution set for Tuesday remains on track — James Robertson, 63, who murdered fellow inmate Frank Hart in 2008 and has waived all his appeals.