VERO BEACH, Fla. — For the first time, the family of a man set to be executed for the 1986 murder of an Indian River County sheriff's deputy is speaking publicly about their effort to save his life.
William Reaves has spent nearly four decades on death row for shooting and killing 29-year-old Deputy Richard Raczkowski. Reaves' execution is scheduled for Oct. 20.
Now, with less than two weeks remaining, Reaves' family is asking Gov. Ron DeSantis to grant him clemency and commute his death sentence to life in prison.
"I mean, he's my uncle, and I love him," Reaves' nephew, Meredith Farrington, told WPTV investigative reporter Kate Hussey.
Farrington said his family does not dispute the gravity of Reaves' crime or the pain Raczkowski's family has endured.
"I can't be upset. I can't be mad at the governor or the decision," Farrington said. "I mean, my uncle did take a life."
But Farrington added, "I just want the governor to look at the whole picture."
A killing that left decades of grief
That story stretches back to Sept. 23, 1986.
According to court records, Reaves called 911 from a convenience store in Indian River County after he was unable to get a taxi.
Raczkowski responded and was attempting to help Reaves call a cab when a gun fell from Reaves' pants. A struggle followed.
Reaves shot Raczkowski four times in the back, killing him.
For nearly 40 years, Raczkowski's brother, Marc Raczkowski, has lived with the loss.
"Why? Why?" he said while speaking with WPTV near his brother's gravesite. "It's something I wouldn't wish on anybody."
A stretch of road near where the deputy was killed now bears Raczkowski's name — a memorial to a life taken and a crime that continues to reverberate through two families four decades later.
"The pain will still always be there," Marc Raczkowski said.
Reaves' family asks governor to consider his history
DeSantis signed Reaves' death warrant Sept. 22, scheduling his execution for Oct. 20.
Farrington is not asking the governor to pardon his uncle or release him from prison. Instead, he wants DeSantis to commute Reaves' death sentence so the now-77-year-old can spend the rest of his life behind bars.
Central to his plea is Reaves' history as a decorated Vietnam War veteran and questions raised during decades of appeals about his mental health, substance abuse and legal representation.
Court records show Reaves repeatedly challenged his conviction and death sentence, including claims that his trial attorney failed to adequately investigate and present evidence concerning his drug use and mental health.
"The attorney wasn't an effective attorney for that type of case," Farrington said. "That was his first death row case."
At Reaves' sentencing, testimony described him as suffering from what was then called "Vietnam syndrome," rather than post-traumatic stress disorder.
Years later, other experts testified that Reaves suffered from PTSD, substance abuse and other impairments.
Farrington said none of that excuses the murder.
"I'm not going to say that his PTSD, his drug use, his being on cocaine and all the other stuff excuses what he did," Farrington said. "I mean, he's being punished by being in prison, and he's 77. The governor can let him stay in prison for the rest of his life, and still he's being punished without killing him and taking another life."
Two families facing the same execution date
Farrington also acknowledges that his family is not the only one carrying grief into Oct. 20.
On the other side is Raczkowski's family, which has spent four decades living with the consequences of Reaves' actions.
"I mean, trying to understand what he feels — there's no way I could do that," Farrington said of Raczkowski's brother.
He said he understands why the deputy's family may want the execution to proceed.
"I know that the family, the officer ... I would probably want the same thing, and I can't even imagine," Farrington said.
For the Raczkowski family, the case is about a life taken nearly 40 years ago.
For Reaves' family, it is now about whether another life should end.
"But we're praying," Farrington said.
Execution remains scheduled for Oct. 20
Reaves has already lost his latest attempt to stop the execution in Indian River County court. He has appealed that decision to the Florida Supreme Court.
For now, his execution remains scheduled for Oct. 20 unless a court intervenes or DeSantis grants clemency.
If carried out, Reaves' execution will mark the 18th in Florida in 2026.