Florida is poised to carry out its ninth execution of the year on Thursday, July 31, with the lethal injection of former Air Force Sgt. Edward Zakrzewski II—marking the most executions in a single year in the state’s modern history.
The previous record of eight executions was set in both 1984 and 2014. Florida is now on pace to surpass Texas in annual executions for the first time since 1984.
Zakrzewski, 60, was convicted of brutally murdering his entire family in Mary Esther, Florida, on June 9, 1994—a crime that stunned the local community. Authorities discovered the bodies of his wife, 34-year-old Sylvia, and their children, 7-year-old Edward and 5-year-old Anna, in the family’s bathroom. Zakrzewski used a machete in the killings and also beat and strangled his wife.
Florida has already executed more inmates this year than any other state. Governor Ron DeSantis has prioritized capital punishment, stating in May that executions can offer long-awaited closure for victims’ families.
“There are so some crimes that are just so horrific, the only appropriate punishment is the death penalty,” he said.
Nationwide, Zakrzewski’s execution would mark the 27th in 2025—a level not seen in over a decade.
When is Edward Zakrzewski’s execution?
Zakrzewski is scheduled to die by lethal injection at 6 p.m. ET on Thursday at Florida State Prison in Raiford, located roughly 45 miles southwest of Jacksonville.
What was Edward Zakrzewski convicted of?
According to court documents, the murders were triggered when 7-year-old Edward called his father to say his mother was filing for divorce. Zakrzewski bought a machete during his lunch break, sharpened it, and hid it along with a crowbar.
That evening, he had his children watch TV while he attacked Sylvia—striking her repeatedly with the crowbar, placing a plastic bag over her head, and strangling her with a rope. He later called each child individually to the bathroom under the pretense of brushing their teeth and killed them with the machete.
He then dragged his still-living wife into the bathroom and attacked her again with the machete, leaving all three bodies in the bathtub.
Zakrzewski fled to Hawaii, where he assumed a false identity and lived on Molokai Island. He befriended a Pentecostal minister who offered him shelter in exchange for maintenance work. His cover lasted about four months until the minister saw him featured on Unsolved Mysteries. Zakrzewski turned himself in shortly afterward.
Despite pleading guilty, his attorneys urged the court to spare him the death penalty. They highlighted his military record, his voluntary surrender, and his expressions of remorse and grief. He had once been described as “a loving husband and father.”
Judge G. Robert Barron rejected these arguments, focusing particularly on the disturbing nature of Anna’s death. He cited evidence suggesting she had seen her brother’s lifeless body and had been forced to kneel at the bathtub’s edge before being struck.
“This court could not imagine a more heinous and atrocious way to die,” the judge stated at sentencing.
He concluded the murders were “the product of probably months and undeniably hours of cool, calm reflection, and careful planning.”
Who is Edward Zakrzewski II?
Zakrzewski, originally from Michigan, was one of five siblings. He later became estranged from his family. During his military service, he earned the Air Force Commendation Medal for Meritorious Service.
His defense attorney, Elton Killam, argued that marital conflict pushed Zakrzewski to the edge. He claimed Sylvia had been unfaithful, incurred large debts, and engaged in psychological abuse. Killam said Zakrzewski killed the children out of a misguided sense of mercy, fearing they would suffer discrimination in South Korea, where Sylvia was from, referring to them inappropriately as “half breeds.”
Killam described the couple’s relationship as tumultuous. They met while she worked at an Air Force base in Montana. They later lived in South Korea, where Killam said Sylvia engaged in an affair, miscarried another man’s child, and spent lavishly at clubs while Zakrzewski stayed home with the kids.
According to AP archives, FBI officials described Zakrzewski as a loner focused on work, education, and his children.
Lisa Fusaro, Zakrzewski’s current attorney, told USA TODAY that he has spent years reflecting in prison.
“Zakrzewski is very remorseful and has become very spiritual over the years,” she said.
“He helps to mentor other death row inmates and practices yoga and meditation.” She added that he remains in contact with friends and relatives who are “deeply saddened by the signing of his (death) warrant.”
Florida’s execution surge
Zakrzewski’s scheduled execution will bring Florida’s 2025 total to nine, with at least two more already scheduled in August. The increase contributes to what is shaping up to be one of the busiest years for executions nationwide since 2015.
Robin Maher, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center, criticized Florida’s aggressive use of capital punishment.
“When compared to the rest of the country, Florida is clearly an outlier in the way that it enthusiastically uses the death penalty despite rising public concerns, high cost, and low public support,” she said.
Maher pointed to Gallup data showing that national support for the death penalty stood at about 53% as of 2024—a significant decline over the years.
How Florida stacks up to Texas
While Florida has surged ahead this year, Texas still leads historically in executions with 594 since 1976. Oklahoma follows with 129, and Florida with 114.
Florida has only surpassed or matched Texas in executions in three years: 1979, 1984, and now in 2025.
Could Zakrzewski still be spared?
On July 22, the Florida Supreme Court denied a motion from Zakrzewski’s attorneys to vacate his sentence. They argued his 1996 sentence wouldn’t hold under today’s legal standards, as his death sentence was based on non-unanimous jury votes—7-5 for his wife and son, and 6-6 for his daughter. Florida now requires at least eight jurors to support a death sentence.
“Standards of decency have evolved,” his legal team argued. But the court dismissed the claim as meritless.
While the U.S. Supreme Court or Governor DeSantis could intervene, such a move is considered unlikely.
