Florida Schedules Execution for Chadwick Willacy Over 1990 Palm Bay Murder

Chadwick Scott Willacy, convicted of the brutal 1990 murder of Marlys Sather in Palm Bay, is set to be executed by lethal injection Tuesday evening at Florida State Prison near Starke. Authorities confirmed the execution is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m., marking the state's fifth execution of 2026.

Court documents detail that Sather, who had returned home for lunch, interrupted Willacy during a burglary. Investigators reported that Willacy struck Sather with a blunt object, fracturing her skull, then bound her hands and ankles with wire and tape. After an unsuccessful attempt to strangle her with a telephone cord, Willacy doused Sather in gasoline and set her on fire. An autopsy found that Sather died from smoke inhalation, indicating she was alive when the fire was set.

Following the killing, Willacy stole Sather’s car, personal items, and used her ATM card to withdraw cash. Sather’s body was discovered by her son-in-law after her employer alerted family members when she did not return from her break. Willacy was convicted of first-degree murder, burglary, robbery, and arson in 1991 and sentenced to death based on a 9-3 jury recommendation. A resentencing took place in 1995, with a new jury recommending death by an 11-1 vote after the Florida Supreme Court ordered a new sentencing due to a jury selection issue.

Willacy’s latest appeals were denied by the Florida Supreme Court last week, and his final motions remained under review by the U.S. Supreme Court as the execution date approached. Officials also noted that all Florida executions are carried out via a three-drug lethal injection protocol.

Florida saw a record number of executions in the previous year under Governor Ron DeSantis, with 19 carried out in 2025—the highest since the death penalty was reinstated in the state. Another execution is scheduled later this month for James Ernest Hitchcock, convicted of a separate 1976 murder.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Willacy remained on death row, pending the outcome of his final appeals.