DeSantis withdraws death warrant for 74-year-old William Thompson

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis withdrew his death warrant for William Thompson, 74, five days before his scheduled execution for a 1976 murder, kidnapping and rape, offering no explanation in his letter to the prison warden. The move came a week after more than 100 medical professionals urged withdrawal, citing Thompson's dementia and cognitive decline.

A three-psychiatrist panel DeSantis commissioned met with Thompson on Oct. 1 and reported back the next day; if found insane, Thompson would be committed to a mental health treatment facility rather than executed. Florida has executed 16 people this year, the most of any state, and 19 in 2025.

DeSantis has since signed a new death warrant for Jesse Guardado, set for Nov. 5. The withdrawal also followed a botched execution attempt in Tennessee, where Christa Pike survived two doses of lethal injection drugs and was hospitalized.

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