Florida sets up a third execution in 2026 as state leads US death penalty surge

A man convicted of fatally shooting a police officer with his own service weapon during a traffic stop is set to be Florida’s third execution of 2026, keeping the state on pace to match or possibly exceed last year’s record 19 executions. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a death warrant Thursday for Billy Leon Kearse, 53, who is scheduled to die by lethal injection March 3 at Florida State Prison. DeSantis, a Republican, oversaw more executions in a single year in 2025 than any other Florida governor since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976.