Florida Governor Ron Desantis overturned the death sentence of 74-year-old William Thompson five days before his scheduled execution on October 9. The decision followed reports that Thompson suffers from severe dementia and is experiencing significant cognitive decline.
Thompson’s lawyer, Brittney Lacey, previously stated to the court that her client could not recall details of hospital stays or understand medical questions about past surgeries. A neuropsychologist who examined Thompson, Robert Waw, confirmed in a statement that “he is unable to comprehend the fact of the impending execution and the reason why it should take place.”
Thompson also reportedly failed to remember meals he consumed, interactions with medical staff, and when asked about the current U.S. president identified Bush instead of the actual figure. Thompson was first sentenced to death in 1976 for murdering Sally Ivester in Miami Beach. After his original sentence was overturned, the death penalty was reimposed. The execution was postponed twice during the 1980s, and Thompson has remained on death row since 1989.
Separately, Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth announced that the public will be permitted to observe Major Nidal Malik Hassan’s execution by firing squad on December 3—the first such military execution in U.S. armed forces in several decades. Hassan was convicted of the 2009 Fort Hood shooting that killed 13 people and injured 32 others.
