The quiet of a Florida evening was broken Tuesday as Ronald Palmer Heath, convicted of a brutal murder, received a lethal injection at Florida State Prison. It marked the state’s first execution of the year, a somber event unfolding within the walls of Raiford.
Heath’s final words were a simple, haunting expression of regret: “I’m sorry. That’s all I can say. Thank you.” Witnesses described a peaceful descent, his eyes closing as the drugs took effect, a stillness settling over him that belied the violence of his crime.
The execution concluded at 6:12 p.m., just two minutes after the injection began. It brought a close to a case rooted in a 1989 robbery gone horribly wrong, a tragedy that claimed the life of Michael Sheridan.
The story began at a Gainesville bar, where Heath and his younger brother, Kenneth, encountered Sheridan. A shared interest in marijuana led to a drive to a secluded location south of the city, a journey that concealed a sinister intent.
Investigators revealed a calculated plan: a robbery orchestrated by the brothers. Kenneth Heath brandished a gun, demanding Sheridan’s belongings. When the salesman resisted, a single shot pierced his chest.
The violence escalated with chilling brutality. As Sheridan emptied his pockets, Ronald Heath unleashed a savage attack, kicking and stabbing the man repeatedly with a hunting knife. Kenneth Heath then delivered two final, devastating shots to the head.
Kenneth Heath ultimately pleaded guilty to murder and testified against his brother, receiving a life sentence in exchange. His testimony sealed Ronald Heath’s fate, painting a grim picture of shared culpability.
Heath’s execution was the second in the United States this year, following a Texas execution last month. The event also comes after a year of unprecedented activity in Florida, where Governor DeSantis oversaw a record-breaking nineteen executions.
That number far surpassed previous years, eclipsing the previous high of eight executions in 2014. It underscores a renewed commitment to capital punishment within the state, a stark reality reflected in the quiet of the execution chamber.
