Florida Executes 77-Year-Old Man

Florida Capitol complex with modern tower and historic dome — Photo: Roberto Galan / Shutterstock

Florida executed 77-year-old Curtis Wilkie Beasley by lethal injection, marking another step in the state’s rapid pace of executions this year.

Story Snapshot

Officials pronounced Beasley dead at 6:12 p.m. after a lethal injection at Florida State Prison.
Courts upheld his conviction for the 1995 murder of Carolyn Monfort, along with related robbery and auto theft counts.
Governor Ron DeSantis signed the execution warrant setting the September 29, 2026 date.
The United States Supreme Court denied a stay and later denied review the same day.

What Florida Carried Out And When

Florida officials carried out the execution of Curtis Wilkie Beasley on September 29, 2026. The Florida Department of Corrections reported the death at 6:12 p.m. following a lethal injection at Florida State Prison. Associated Press coverage matched the department’s timeline and details. The state has emphasized the formal process was complete before the punishment. Taken together, those facts show the execution happened as scheduled under state authority and court supervision.

Governor Ron DeSantis had signed a death warrant that set the date and identified lethal injection as the method. Public reporting in late August detailed the warrant’s terms and location. That notice started the final legal rush that often follows in capital cases. Florida has used such warrants more often in recent years, which has pushed the state to the front of national execution activity. That policy context shaped how this case moved and how fast it ended.

How The Case Reached Its End

Beasley’s case began with a 1995 killing in Polk County. A jury found him guilty of first-degree murder, robbery, and grand theft auto tied to the death of Carolyn Monfort. A federal court record later summarized those convictions during a round of habeas corpus litigation. News accounts from the day of execution tracked with the court history. Those records explain the legal path that gave Florida authority to set and carry out the execution.

The United States Supreme Court docket shows that Beasley sought an emergency stay shortly before the scheduled execution. The justices denied the stay and then denied his petition for review later that day. That timing reflects how capital appeals often compress near an execution date. The docket entries do not give a full opinion on every claim. They do confirm that the nation’s highest court left the Florida judgment in place on the day of the execution.

Why This Execution Draws Wider Attention

The execution of a 77-year-old man adds to a larger story about where and how often the death penalty is used. Florida has led a new rise in executions after years of national decline. In 2025, the Death Penalty Information Center reported 47 executions nationwide, with 19 in Florida alone. That share made Florida the main driver of the increase and placed most executions in a few Southern states. This cluster shapes public debate and policy focus across the country.

Capital punishment always carries final stakes, and that fuels cross-ideological concern. People on the right and left may disagree about punishment but still want a justice system that is accurate, fair, and fast. Since 1973, at least 203 people have been exonerated from United States death rows, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. That number does not speak to this case’s guilt or innocence, but it explains why transparency and careful review matter in every capital case.