NewsWUSF (NPR Tampa Bay)August 18, 2026Hillsborough
Florida executes William Frances Silvia, marking 13th death sentence carried out this year
Florida officials executed 61-year-old William Frances Silvia on Tuesday via lethal injection at Florida State Prison. Silvia was convicted of the 2006 murder of his wife and the wounding of his mother-in-law, marking the 13th execution in the state so far in 2026.
Read the full story at WUSF (NPR Tampa Bay)Why It Matters
Florida has carried out 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 on Tuesday at 6:11 p.m. via a three-drug lethal injection.
- This is the 13th execution in Florida in 2026.
- Florida has carried out more than half of the 23 total executions in the U.S. so far in 2026.
- Two additional executions are scheduled in Florida for September 2026: 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 in the Orlando area.
- Silvia's original 2008 death sentence was vacated, but he was re-sentenced to death in 2018.
- The Florida Supreme Court rejected an appeal regarding the adequacy of legal representation provided by the Capital Collateral Regional Counsel.
- In 2025, Florida executed 19 people, a record for the state since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976.
- Florida executed two prisoners in a single day in July 2026, the first state to do so in nearly a decade.
Who's Mentioned
personRon DeSantis“Governor of Florida.”personDaniel Owen Conahan Jr.“Inmate scheduled for execution on Sept. 10.”organizationCapital Collateral Regional Counsel“Agency providing legal representation to death row inmates.”personHarold Gene Lucas“Inmate scheduled for execution on Sept. 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 wounded in the 2006 attack.”organizationFlorida Supreme Court“Court that rejected the inmate's appeal.”