This Thursday, Florida could match its annual record for executions and is poised to surpass it by the end of the year if the scheduled death sentences under Republican Governor Ron DeSantis proceed as planned.
According to FOX 35 Orlando, the state intends to execute Jesse Guardado, aged 64, via lethal injection at 6:00 p.m. local time at the Florida State Prison near Starke.
If carried out, this would mark the 19th execution in 2026, tying the highest annual total set just last year. The Death Penalty Information Center confirms that Florida executed 19 individuals in 2025, the highest since the state resumed capital punishment in 1979.
Previously, the record was eight executions, noted in 2018. The significant increase in recent years is evident, with Florida executing only one person in 2024 but accounting for roughly 40% of the 47 executions across the United States in 2025.
As of now, Florida has conducted 18 executions in 2026. The latest execution took place on October 20, when William Reaves, 77, was administered a lethal injection for the 1986 murder of an Indian River County sheriff's deputy.
Should Guardado be executed this Thursday, Florida will once again reach 19 executions. However, it would not yet break the record; at least one more execution must occur before December 31 to set a new high.
Authorities have already scheduled two additional executions. Thomas Mitchell Overton, 70, is slated for November 19, after being convicted for the 1992 murder of a couple in the Florida Keys, where the woman was pregnant, and the unborn child did not survive.
The next execution is scheduled for December 1. The condemned, Ricardo Gonzalez, was sentenced for killing a North Miami Beach police officer during a 1992 bank robbery.
If all three upcoming executions, including Guardado's, proceed, Florida would close 2026 with at least 21 executions, surpassing last year's record by two.
Guardado's case remains under last-minute judicial review. His attorneys have filed two requests with the U.S. Supreme Court to halt the execution, with no definitive resolution showing in Thursday morning records.
Guardado was convicted for the murder of Jackie Malone, a 75-year-old woman who had assisted him in finding housing and employment after his release from prison. The crime took place on September 13, 2004, in Walton County, northwest Florida. Guardado attacked Malone in her home, striking her with a tool, stabbing her, and slitting her throat.
He then stole several items, including a purse, a jewelry box, a cell phone, and $80 to fund his drug habit. Guardado confessed to the murder, pled guilty, and received the death sentence in October 2005. In 2024, a federal appeals court ruled he had a "full and fair" hearing during the sentencing phase.
His defense has also challenged Florida's lethal injection protocol, alleging irregularities involving expired drugs, substandard doses, and unauthorized substances in prior executions.
On October 30, a federal court denied a request to halt his execution, but his lawyers continue to seek a stay through other legal channels.
Governor DeSantis has defended the pace of executions under his administration, arguing that victims' families deserve justice after decades of waiting for sentences to be fulfilled.
Florida accounts for a significant portion of U.S. executions this year. Of the 32 recorded nationwide up to Thursday morning, 18 have occurred in Florida—more than half of the national total.
Furthermore, November 5 sees two other executions scheduled in the United States.
In Indiana, Jeffrey Weisheit was executed in the early hours via lethal injection, following his conviction for setting a 2010 fire that killed his partner's two children, aged eight and five.
Alabama also plans to execute Michael Taylor on Thursday, who was convicted of murdering an elderly couple during a robbery at age 19.
If all three scheduled executions take place today, it would be the second time in 2026 that three individuals are executed in the U.S. on the same day.
Florida's Execution Record and Legal Challenges
How many executions has Florida conducted in 2026?
Florida has conducted 18 executions in 2026 as of now, with several more scheduled before the year's end.
What legal actions are being taken to halt Jesse Guardado's execution?
Jesse Guardado's attorneys have filed two requests with the U.S. Supreme Court to suspend his execution, but no final decision has been issued yet.
What criticisms have been made about Florida's lethal injection protocol?
Critics, including Guardado's defense team, have alleged issues with Florida's lethal injection protocol, citing expired drugs, inadequate doses, and unauthorized substances.