Latest news with #SylviaZakrzewski
Yahoo
01-08-2025
- Yahoo
Florida Executes Machete Killer of His Wife and Children, Breaking Decade-Long Record for Capital Punishment
Edward Zakrzewski and his wife Sylvia had been going through marital problems; he had told a neighbor that he would rather kill his family than go through a divorceNEED TO KNOW Edward Zakrzewski, 60, was executed by lethal injection in Florida for the brutal 1994 murders of his wife and two young children After committing the murders, Zakrzewski fled to Hawaii, changed his identity, and lived on a religious commune His execution marked Florida's ninth this year, the highest number since 2014A man convicted of killing his family with a machete three decades ago was put to death in Florida on Thursday, July 31, setting the state's record for the highest number of annual executions since the restoration of the death penalty. Edward Zakrzewski, 60, was executed by lethal injection at Florida State Prison in Bradford County, according to court records obtained by PEOPLE. Zakrzewski and his 34-year-old wife Sylvia had been going through marital problems; he had told a neighbor twice that he would rather kill his family than go through a divorce, according to the court documents. On the morning of Jun 9, 1994, when Zakrzewski found out Sylvia wanted a divorce, he purchased a machete on his lunch break. His day went on as usual, then went home and waited for his family, the court documents said. When his family got home, Zakrzewski first approached Sylvia, knocking her unconscious and strangling her with rope as she was sitting alone in the living room, per the court documents. He then approached his 7-year-old son Edward and killed him with the machete. According to the court documents, he then confronted his 5-year-old daughter Anna, striking her with the machete as she was in the bathroom. Following the murders, Zakrzewski drove to Orlando and took a flight to Hawaii, where he changed his name and lived with a family who ran a religious commune for four months, per the court documents. One day, the family was watching the television show 'Unsolved Mysteries' and saw Zakrzewski's picture, the court documents said. The next day, he turned himself in to local police. Over the years, Zakrzewski's lawyers filed numerous appeals but they were all denied, court documents show. On the day of his execution, Zakrzewski woke up at 5:15 a.m. and had fried pork chops, root beer and ice cream as his last meal, CBS News reported, citing state Department of Corrections spokesman Paul Walker. According to Walker, he had one visitor and 'remained compliant' as he awaited to be its lethal injection, Florida uses a combination of a sedative, a paralytic and a drug that stops the heart, the outlet reported, citing the state Department of Corrections. This year, Florida has executed more people than it has in any year since 2014. Zakrzewski was the ninth person to be executed in the state, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
01-08-2025
- Yahoo
Florida Executes Machete Killer of His Wife and Children, Breaking Decade-Long Record for Capital Punishment
Edward Zakrzewski and his wife Sylvia had been going through marital problems; he had told a neighbor that he would rather kill his family than go through a divorceNEED TO KNOW Edward Zakrzewski, 60, was executed by lethal injection in Florida for the brutal 1994 murders of his wife and two young children After committing the murders, Zakrzewski fled to Hawaii, changed his identity, and lived on a religious commune His execution marked Florida's ninth this year, the highest number since 2014A man convicted of killing his family with a machete three decades ago was put to death in Florida on Thursday, July 31, setting the state's record for the highest number of annual executions since the restoration of the death penalty. Edward Zakrzewski, 60, was executed by lethal injection at Florida State Prison in Bradford County, according to court records obtained by PEOPLE. Zakrzewski and his 34-year-old wife Sylvia had been going through marital problems; he had told a neighbor twice that he would rather kill his family than go through a divorce, according to the court documents. On the morning of Jun 9, 1994, when Zakrzewski found out Sylvia wanted a divorce, he purchased a machete on his lunch break. His day went on as usual, then went home and waited for his family, the court documents said. When his family got home, Zakrzewski first approached Sylvia, knocking her unconscious and strangling her with rope as she was sitting alone in the living room, per the court documents. He then approached his 7-year-old son Edward and killed him with the machete. According to the court documents, he then confronted his 5-year-old daughter Anna, striking her with the machete as she was in the bathroom. Following the murders, Zakrzewski drove to Orlando and took a flight to Hawaii, where he changed his name and lived with a family who ran a religious commune for four months, per the court documents. One day, the family was watching the television show 'Unsolved Mysteries' and saw Zakrzewski's picture, the court documents said. The next day, he turned himself in to local police. Over the years, Zakrzewski's lawyers filed numerous appeals but they were all denied, court documents show. On the day of his execution, Zakrzewski woke up at 5:15 a.m. and had fried pork chops, root beer and ice cream as his last meal, CBS News reported, citing state Department of Corrections spokesman Paul Walker. According to Walker, he had one visitor and 'remained compliant' as he awaited to be its lethal injection, Florida uses a combination of a sedative, a paralytic and a drug that stops the heart, the outlet reported, citing the state Department of Corrections. This year, Florida has executed more people than it has in any year since 2014. Zakrzewski was the ninth person to be executed in the state, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
01-08-2025
- Yahoo
Florida sets record for most executions in single year after lethal injection of man who killed his family
A Florida man who murdered his wife and two children with a machete in 1994 was executed on Thursday, making him the ninth person put to death in Florida this year. Edward Zakrzewski was pronounced dead at 6.12 p.m. after he received a lethal injection at Florida State Prison near Starke, according to prison officials. Prison officials woke Zakrzewski at 5.15 a.m. and he later received his last meal — fried pork chops, root beer, and ice cream — before he was put to death in the evening. Florida Department of Corrections spokesman Paul Walker told the Associated Press Zakrzewski "remained compliant" during his execution process. Florida has set a grim record with Zakrzewski's death; this year the state has executed more inmates than any other year since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976. The last record was eight executions in one year in 2014. Not only has Florida outdone itself when it comes to killing inmates, but it has executed more people than any other state. Texas and South Carolina are tied for second with four executions each, according to the Associated Press. The Sunshine State isn't slowing down either. It is expected to execute two other inmates — bringing its total to 11 executions under one year — on August 19 and 28. Zakrzewski killed his 34-year-old wife, Sylvia, and their two children, Edward, 7, and Anna, 5, at their home in Florida more than 30 years ago. Prosecutors argued Zakrzewski murdered his wife in retaliation of her seeking a divorce. He reportedly had told others he would kill his family before he'd agree to a divorce. He attacked his wife with a crowbar and then strangled her with a rope, according to court documents. Zakrzewski killed his children with a machete and hit his wife with the blade as well when he mistakenly thought she'd survived his initial attack. Zakrzewski's attorneys tried to file appeals to his death sentence during his incarceration after the trial but all were rejected. Just before his execution, Zakrzewski's lawyers filed a final request to stay his execution, but the Supreme Court denied the request on Wednesday. Demonstrators who oppose the death penalty pointed to the fact that Zakrzewski was sentenced to death by a jury who voted 7-5 for the punishment — barely a majority. They noted that, under current state law, he could not have been sentenced to death with a hung jury. Florida currently requires at least an 8-4 vote in favor of execution to hand down a death penalty. The Action Network, one of the groups that oppose the death penalty, asked volunteers to call Florida Governor Ron DeSantis's office to ask for a stay of execution. "Florida does not need the death penalty to be safe. This execution will not make us safer, it will simply add another act of violence to an already tragic story. Justice does not require death," The Action Network's script said. Before Thursday, 26 inmates were put to death in the U.S. this year, and 11 more are scheduled for execution before the end of 2025.
