Overview
- Kearse, 53, was pronounced dead at 6:24 p.m. ET at Florida State Prison in Raiford following a three-drug lethal injection, officials said.
- The U.S. Supreme Court rejected his final appeal just hours before the execution after the Florida Supreme Court denied relief last week.
- Prosecutors said he seized Sgt. Danny Parrish’s service weapon during a 1991 traffic stop and fired 14 shots, killing the officer.
- Parrish’s widow witnessed the execution and described a measure of justice after 35 years; Kearse apologized in his final statement, declined a last meal, and met with a spiritual adviser.
- It was Florida’s third execution of 2026 following a record 19 in 2025, with additional executions set for March 17 and March 31 under warrants signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.