Florida to Conduct First Execution of 2026 Amidst Record Numbers
Ronald Palmer Heath, a 64-year-old man convicted of murder, faces execution on February 10, 2026, at Florida State Prison. This event marks Florida’s first execution of the year, following a death warrant authorized by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis. DeSantis, who set a new state record by signing 19 execution warrants in 2025, surpassed the previous maximum of eight executions in a single year, set in 2014.
Heath’s conviction dates back to 1990, when he was found guilty of first-degree murder, robbery with a deadly weapon, and multiple forgery charges. The crime involved the killing of Michael Sheridan, a traveling salesman, whom Heath and his brother, Kenneth, encountered in a Gainesville bar in May 1989.
According to court documents, the Heath brothers and Sheridan agreed to leave the bar together to smoke marijuana. Investigators revealed that the brothers conspired to rob Sheridan, with Ronald Heath driving them to an isolated location where Kenneth brandished a handgun. After Sheridan initially resisted handing over his possessions, Kenneth shot him in the chest.
Prosecutors reported that as Sheridan tried to comply by emptying his pockets, Ronald Heath attacked him with kicks and a hunting knife. Kenneth Heath subsequently shot Sheridan twice in the head, resulting in his death.
Following the murder, the brothers disposed of Sheridan’s body in a wooded area and returned to the bar to retrieve items from his rental car. They used Sheridan’s credit cards to make several purchases at a local mall the following day.
Ronald Heath was apprehended weeks later at his home in Douglas, Georgia, after detectives traced the stolen credit cards back to him. Evidence recovered included clothing purchased with the stolen cards and the victim’s watch.
Kenneth Heath was also implicated in the murder but received a life sentence under a plea deal.
Ronald Heath’s legal team plans to appeal to both the Florida Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court, seeking to overturn the death sentence.
In 2025, a total of 47 individuals were executed across the United States, with Florida leading in numbers due to the series of death warrants signed by DeSantis. The final execution of that year in Florida was Frank Athen Walls, convicted of a double murder during a home invasion.
