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Man convicted of killing Fort Pierce police officer set to be executed

Billy Leon Kearse is set to be executed Tuesday, March 3, for the 1991 murder of Sgt. Danny Parrish. Kearse will be Florida's 21st execution in just over a year

Archive photo of Sgt. Danny Parrish before his 1991 death

Fort Pierce Police Department

Fort Pierce police Sgt. Danny Parrish was killed in the line of duty in 1991.

By: Kate Hussey

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FORT PIERCE, Fla. — Billy Leon Kearse is set to be executed Tuesday for the 1991 murder of Fort Pierce Police Sgt. Danny Parrish. He would be Florida's 21st execution in just over a year.

WATCH BELOW:

Florida set to execute man who killed Fort Pierce officer in 1991

Parrish was 29 years old when he was killed.

I will be witnessing the execution.

Our team of journalists covered this case 35 years ago and has followed it ever since — including the years Parrish's widow spent fighting for justice through decades of appeals.

Mirtha Busbin pleased husband will be memorialized with statue and park — Mirtha Busbin is pleased her late husband, Sgt. Danny Parrish, will be memorialized with a statue and a park named after him in Fort Pierce. "It's been a long time overdue," she says.

In the days leading up to the execution, I have been digging back into the case — hearing from Parrish's loved ones and friends, reviewing the appeals process, and examining Florida's accelerated use of the death penalty.

My full report on the case airs Monday and execution coverage follows Tuesday.

We will bring you every side of this story.

Read more of WPTV's coverage below: