Edward Zakrzewski, a Florida Death Row inmate convicted of killing his wife and two children in 1994, was executed on July 31 at age 60. He became the ninth person executed in the state this year, setting a new record with two more executions scheduled for August.
Zakrzewski was sentenced to death for the brutal murders of his wife, Sylvia, and their two sons, ages five and seven. After the killings, he fled to Hawaii and remained at large for months until he was recognized from a TV broadcast and eventually turned himself in. He had reportedly said he’d rather kill his family than let his wife divorce him.
He was executed by lethal injection after his final appeal was denied. His last meal included fried pork chops, root beer, and ice cream. In his chilling final words, he sarcastically thanked Florida for executing him in a “clean, humane” manner and said, “I have no complaint.”
With this execution, Florida has now outpaced its previous high from 2014 and may surpass Texas for the first time in executions since 1984—highlighting the state’s aggressive use of capital punishment in 2025.
