Chadwick "Khalil" Willacy is scheduled for execution in Florida on April 21, 2026 for the 1990 murder of Marlys Sather.

Early March, 2026, legal counsel for Khalil filed public records requests in circuit court regarding issues with Florida's lethal injection protocol and administration that have come to light in recent months. Counsel never received responses to those requests, but just 1 week later, Gov. DeSantis signed an execution warrant for Khalil.

Science bares out the true suffering endemic to lethal injections regardless of the exact drug or drug combinations. The suffering is further prolonged when drugs are changed, expired, or given at ineffective doses.

Provided by our friends at Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty:

In Melvin Trotter’s case, Justice Sonia Sotomayor highlighted the consequences of that secrecy, warning that Florida has created a “Catch-22” for death-sentenced individuals: courts deny access to records because prisoners lack enough information to raise a “colorable” Eighth Amendment claim, yet the very purpose of those records requests is to obtain the information necessary to make such a claim. Florida’s refusal to provide these records is a barrier to determining whether this execution can lawfully proceed.

That is why counsel for Chadwick “Khalil” Willacy has filed a petition for a writ of mandamus with the Florida Supreme Court, demanding that the State produce these records before proceeding with his execution. The writ argues that Florida is attempting to carry out an execution while blocking access to the very information needed to determine whether its lethal injection process is lawful. Without that transparency, the State is not just avoiding scrutiny — it is eliminating it.

One must never forget the context in which these crimes occur. Khalil was grappling with substance use disorder at the time of the crime - becoming a different person entirely from the person he was prior. He sought help for this illness but when Marlys Sather's life was taken, he was in the throes of addiction, at which point his judgement, impulse control, and rational decision-making were severely impaired.

We stand together to urge you to stop the execution of Chadwick Willacy and grant clemency.

The murder of Marlys Sather was a horrific crime. Nothing written here diminishes the magnitude of that harm or the grief her family has carried for decades. Her life mattered. Her loss mattered.

But the question before you is not whether the crime was serious. It was. The question is whether the State should respond to violence with another deliberate act of violence.

The death penalty is irreversible. Once carried out, there is no opportunity to reconsider, no chance to correct error, and no possibility of reflection or mercy.

Granting clemency does not erase the harm that was done. It does not diminish the suffering of the victim’s loved ones. It simply recognizes that justice does not require another death.
You have the constitutional authority to stop this execution.

We urge you to grant a stay of execution and commute Chadwick Willacy’s sentence to life imprisonment.

This is the sixth death warrant of 2026, following an unprecedented execution pace in 2025. Florida led the nation in executions in 2025 by setting its own record for executions with Governor DeSantis signing 19 death warrants last year. Let's make sure Florida does not repeat this record in 2026.

Join the Virtual Sit In

Call Gov. DeSantis at 850-717-9337 with the following message:

"Hi. My name is [your name]. I am calling to urge Gov. DeSantis to reverse course and halt all plans to execute Chadwick Willacy on April 21, 2026. As someone who purports to follow catholic teachings, it is deeply disappointing that he does not extend these teachings to the individual condemned to death in the state of Florida. Please do not move forward with the execution of Chadwick Willacy."

REGISTER FOR THE 4/21 VIRTUAL VIGIL BEGINNING AT 5PM ET.

While most states have moved away from the death penalty, Florida is accelerating executions at an alarming rate. Each warrant signed underscores the state’s embrace of a punishment that is arbitrary, racially biased, and out of step with evolving standards of decency.

We believe in accountability, and have sympathy for the victim's family members, friends and community. Their loss is tragic and unimaginable. But true justice and accountability does not require execution. A sentence of life without the possibility of parole protects society while also recognizing the human capacity for redemption and the role of childhood trauma in shaping adult behavior.

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.

Please sign the petition asking Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida State Board of Executive Clemency to do everything within their power to stop this execution, including issuing a stay, and seeking a path to clemency in the case.