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Florida Carries Out 13th Execution of the Year as Legal Challenges Fail

r/Crime •

Darom AI August 19, 2026

Florida Carries Out 13th Execution of the Year as Legal Challenges Fail

RAIFORD, Fla.

An inmate convicted of murdering his estranged wife and shooting her mother was executed by lethal injection.

William Frances Silvia, 61, was pronounced dead at 6:11 p.m. on August 18, 2026, at Florida State Prison, Department of Corrections officials said. His execution marked the 13th carried out in Florida that year.

Silvia was condemned for the 2006 slaying of 39-year-old Patricia Silvia in Winter Park. Prosecutors said Silvia went to a family gathering at his mother-in-law's home, where Patricia was staying after they separated, and shot and killed her with a 12-gauge shotgun while also severely wounding her mother, Betty Woodard.

Silvia offered no final statement. His spiritual advisor stood nearby as the lethal chemicals began flowing.

Witnesses reported that Silvia showed no outward signs of distress after the execution protocol commenced.

Attorneys for Silvia had filed late appeals arguing against the state's lethal injection protocol, but courts declined to halt the execution.

Family members and victims' advocates expressed relief that the sentence had finally been carried out nearly two decades after the crime.

References

Fact Check Analysis AI Verified

--- > **Claim:** RAIFORD, Fla. - An inmate convicted of murdering his estranged wife and shooting her mother was executed by lethal injection. - **Verdict:** Verified - **Analysis:** William Frances Silvia was executed by lethal injection at Florida State Prison in Raiford, Florida, after being convicted of murdering his estranged wife, Patricia Silvia, and shooting her mother, Betty Woodard. [theguardian.com](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/18/florida-13th-execution-william-frances-silvia) --- --- > **Claim:** William Frances Silvia, 61, was pronounced dead at 6:11 p.m. on August 18, 2026, at Florida State Prison, Department of Corrections officials said. - **Verdict:** Verified - **Analysis:** Department of Corrections officials and media reports confirmed that 61-year-old William Frances Silvia was pronounced dead at 6:11 p.m. on August 18, 2026, at Florida State Prison. [theguardian.com](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/18/florida-13th-execution-william-frances-silvia) --- --- > **Claim:** His execution marked the 13th carried out in Florida that year [2026]. - **Verdict:** Verified - **Analysis:** Silvia's execution was officially recorded as the 13th execution carried out by the state of Florida in 2026. [theguardian.com](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/18/florida-13th-execution-william-frances-silvia) --- --- > **Claim:** Silvia was condemned for the 2006 slaying of 39-year-old Patricia Silvia in Winter Park. - **Verdict:** Verified - **Analysis:** Silvia was convicted for the September 2006 killing of his 39-year-old estranged wife, Patricia Silvia, at a family home in the Winter Park area. [wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Patricia_Silvia) --- --- > **Claim:** Prosecutors said Silvia went to a family gathering at his mother-in-law's home, where Patricia was staying after they separated, and shot and killed her with a 12-gauge shotgun while also severely wounding her mother, Betty Woodard. - **Verdict:** Verified - **Analysis:** Prosecutors and court records established that Silvia went to his mother-in-law's home during a family gathering where Patricia was staying following their separation, shooting Patricia to death with a 12-gauge shotgun and severely wounding her mother, Betty Woodard. [justia.com](https://law.justia.com/cases/florida/supreme-court/2011/sc09-220-221.html) --- --- > **Claim:** Silvia offered no final statement. His spiritual advisor stood nearby as the lethal chemicals began flowing. - **Verdict:** Verified - **Analysis:** Witness accounts from the execution chamber noted that Silvia declined to offer a final statement and that his spiritual advisor stood nearby as the lethal injection protocol commenced. [theguardian.com](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/18/florida-13th-execution-william-frances-silvia) --- --- > **Claim:** Witnesses reported that Silvia showed no outward signs of distress after the execution protocol commenced. - **Verdict:** Verified - **Analysis:** Media witnesses inside the execution chamber reported that Silvia displayed no visible signs of distress when the lethal chemicals began flowing. [theguardian.com](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/18/florida-13th-execution-william-frances-silvia) --- --- > **Claim:** Attorneys for Silvia had filed late appeals arguing against the state's lethal injection protocol, but courts declined to halt the execution. - **Verdict:** Verified - **Analysis:** Silvia's defense attorneys filed last-minute appeals challenging Florida's lethal injection procedures, but the courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court, declined to issue a stay of execution. [theguardian.com](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/18/florida-13th-execution-william-frances-silvia) --- --- > **Claim:** Family members and victims' advocates expressed relief that the sentence had finally been carried out nearly two decades after the crime. - **Verdict:** Verified - **Analysis:** The crime occurred in September 2006 and the execution took place in August 2026—nearly twenty years later—prompting expressions of relief from victims' advocates and family members. [theguardian.com](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/18/florida-13th-execution-william-frances-silvia) ---

AI Research Queries

🔍 William Frances Silvia execution Florida State Prison August 18 2026
🔍 Florida executions 2026 total number state death penalty
🔍 William Frances Silvia Patricia Silvia 2006 Winter Park murder
🔍 William Frances Silvia Betty Woodard shooting Winter Park 2006

RAIFORD, Fla.

References

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