NewsWUSF — Tampa Bay NPR (Local & State)August 18, 2026Hillsborough
Florida executes William Frances Silvia, marking 13th death sentence carried out this year
Florida officials executed William Frances Silvia on Tuesday at Florida State Prison, marking the state's 13th execution in 2026. Silvia was convicted of the 2006 murder of his wife and the attempted murder of his mother-in-law.
Read the full story at WUSF — Tampa Bay NPR (Local & State)Why It Matters
Florida currently accounts for more than half of all executions in the United States this year, with two additional executions scheduled for September.
Key Facts
- William Frances Silvia was executed via three-drug lethal injection at 6:11 p.m. on Tuesday.
- This execution is the 13th carried out in Florida during 2026.
- Florida has performed more than half of the 23 total executions in the U.S. so far this year.
- Two additional executions are scheduled in Florida for September: Harold Gene Lucas on Sept. 1 and Daniel Owen Conahan Jr. on Sept. 10.
- Silvia was convicted of first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder for a 2006 attack on his wife and mother-in-law.
- Silvia was originally sentenced to death in 2008, had the sentence vacated, and was re-sentenced to death in 2018.
- The Florida Supreme Court rejected an appeal from Silvia's attorneys regarding the adequacy of legal representation provided by the Capital Collateral Regional Counsel.
- Florida executed 19 prisoners in 2025, a record since the death penalty was reinstated in the state in 1976.
- In July, Florida executed two prisoners on the same day, the first time a state has done so in nearly a decade.
Who's Mentioned
personRon DeSantis“Governor of Florida.”personDaniel Owen Conahan Jr.“Inmate scheduled for execution on September 10.”organizationCapital Collateral Regional Counsel“Agency providing legal representation to death row inmates.”personHarold Gene Lucas“Inmate scheduled for execution on September 1.”personRicky Dixon“Retired Florida Corrections Secretary.”personWilliam Frances Silvia“Inmate executed by the state of Florida.”locationFlorida State Prison“Site of the execution.”personPatricia Silvia“Victim of the 2006 murder.”personBetty Woodard“Victim of the 2006 shooting.”organizationFlorida Supreme Court“Court that rejected the inmate's appeal.”