A man convicted of brutally murdering his family with a machete over 30 years ago was executed in Florida on Thursday, July 31—marking a grim milestone for the state, which has now carried out more executions this year than in any year since the death penalty was reinstated.
Edward Zakrzewski, 60, was put to death by lethal injection at Florida State Prison in Bradford County, according to court records obtained by PEOPLE.
Court documents reveal Zakrzewski had been struggling with marital issues with his 34-year-old wife, Sylvia, and had twice told a neighbor he would rather kill his family than endure a divorce.
On the morning of June 9, 1994, after learning Sylvia intended to separate, Zakrzewski bought a machete during his lunch break. He returned home later that day and waited for his family to arrive.
According to court records, once they were home, Zakrzewski struck Sylvia unconscious as she sat alone in the living room and strangled her with a rope. He then used the machete to kill their 7-year-old son, Edward. Moments later, he attacked and fatally wounded his 5-year-old daughter, Anna, while she was in the bathroom.
In the aftermath of the murders, Zakrzewski fled to Orlando, boarded a flight to Hawaii, and assumed a new identity. He spent four months living with a family who operated a religious commune, court documents stated.
His time in hiding ended unexpectedly. The family saw his photo on an episode of Unsolved Mysteries—and the very next day, Zakrzewski turned himself in to local authorities.
Despite years of appeals filed by his defense team, all efforts to overturn his conviction or sentence were ultimately denied, according to court records.
On the day of his execution, Zakrzewski awoke at 5:15 a.m. and was served a last meal of fried pork chops, root beer, and ice cream, CBS News reported, citing Florida Department of Corrections spokesman Paul Walker. He had one visitor and was described as “compliant” in the hours leading up to the execution.
Florida uses a three-drug protocol for lethal injections: a sedative, a paralytic, and a drug to stop the heart, according to the state Department of Corrections.
So far this year, Florida has executed more people than in any year since 2014. Zakrzewski’s execution was the ninth carried out in the state in 2025, per the Death Penalty Information Center.
