The Indian River County community will soon see the final legal chapter of a tragic story that has spanned four decades. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has officially signed a death warrant for William Reaves Jr., the man convicted of murdering Indian River County Sheriff’s Corporal Richard Raczkoski in 1986.
After nearly forty years of appeals and legal proceedings, 77-year-old William Reaves Jr. is scheduled to face lethal injection on October 20 for the fatal shooting of an Indian River County deputy outside a Vero Beach convenience store.
The execution is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. at Florida State Prison in Raiford, with the warrant remaining active through noon on October 27. Reaves was convicted of the brutal killing that occurred in the early morning hours of September 23, 1986, a crime that deeply scarred the Treasure Coast community.
The incident unfolded at approximately 3:00 a.m. when Corporal Raczkoski, then 29 years old, responded to a 911 call at a Zippy Mart located on State Road 60 west of Vero Beach. Reaves had placed the call from a payphone, reportedly seeking assistance because he lacked money for a cab. During their interaction, a .38-caliber pistol fell from Reaves’s shorts. While the deputy attempted to secure the weapon with his knee, Reaves physically shoved him aside, regained control of the firearm, and warned the deputy not to reach for his own weapon. As Raczkoski attempted to retreat and run for safety, Reaves fired seven times. The deputy was struck four times, including in the back, and died shortly after.
Following the shooting, Reaves fled to a friend’s apartment where he admitted to shooting a police officer. Authorities apprehended him two days later at a bus stop in Albany, Georgia. He later told investigators he was under the influence of cocaine at the time and was desperate to avoid returning to prison.
The legal path leading to this death warrant was extensive and complex. Key milestones in the judicial process include:
- An initial first-degree murder conviction in 1987, which was overturned by the Florida Supreme Court in 1991 because a prosecutor assigned to the case had previously represented Reaves.
- A second trial and conviction in February 1992, where the jury recommended the death penalty on a 10-2 vote.
- A formal death sentence handed down on March 6, 1992, followed by decades of state and federal appeals.
Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers was notified of the signed warrant by the governor’s office. Flowers publicly stated that the execution is long overdue and emphasized his intention to be present at the facility to ensure the last thing Reaves sees is an Indian River County Sheriff’s Office uniform.
Corporal Raczkoski holds a somber place in local law enforcement history as the first Indian River County deputy to be killed in the line of duty. The local community has gone to great lengths to ensure his sacrifice is never forgotten. The stretch of State Road 60 between Interstate 95 and 43rd Avenue has been designated as the Richard Raczkoski Memorial Highway. Furthermore, the Sheriff’s Office recently dedicated a restored 1986 Ford Crown Victoria in his honor and recognized his ultimate sacrifice during a Police Week ceremony outside the county courthouse.
While Corporal Raczkoski’s parents have since passed away, his memory lives on through his surviving brother and his only son, Matthew, who was born after the tragic incident and never had the opportunity to meet his father. As the Vero Beach area approaches the 40th anniversary of this heartbreaking event, this final resolution brings a long-awaited sense of justice to the community and the local law enforcement family.
