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First 2026 Execution Set Amid Controversial Florida Death Penalty

2/10/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Ronald Palmer Heath, 64, is scheduled for lethal injection on February 10, 2026, the first of the year.
The execution follows Florida's record 19 executions in 2025 under Governor Ron DeSantis.
He was convicted in 1990 for killing traveling salesman Michael Sheridan during a robbery.
His attorneys argue that Florida's death-penalty protocols are mismanaged.
His U.S. Supreme Court appeals remain pending.

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Story summary

Ronald Palmer Heath, 64, is scheduled for lethal injection on February 10, 2026, the first of the year.
The execution follows Florida's record 19 executions in 2025 under Governor Ron DeSantis.
He was convicted in 1990 for killing traveling salesman Michael Sheridan during a robbery.
His attorneys argue that Florida's death-penalty protocols are mismanaged.
His U.S. Supreme Court appeals remain pending.