Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed a death warrant for Frank Athen Walls, scheduling his execution by lethal injection on Dec. 18. Walls was convicted for a July 1987 home invasion that left airman Edward Alger and Ann Peterson dead and was sentenced to death after a 1992 retrial. DNA later linked Walls to another 1987 murder, and he admitted to two additional killings as part of a plea agreement. His attorneys plan to seek appeals in state and federal courts amid an active year of executions in Florida.
Florida Sets Dec. 18 Execution Date for Man Convicted in 1987 Home-Invasion Killings
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed a death warrant for Frank Athen Walls, scheduling his execution by lethal injection on Dec. 18. Walls was convicted for a July 1987 home invasion that left airman Edward Alger and Ann Peterson dead and was sentenced to death after a 1992 retrial. DNA later linked Walls to another 1987 murder, and he admitted to two additional killings as part of a plea agreement. His attorneys plan to seek appeals in state and federal courts amid an active year of executions in Florida.
07:55 AM, 11/19/2025Politics
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed a death warrant scheduling Frank Athen Walls, 58, to be executed by lethal injection on Dec. 18 at Florida State Prison. The warrant makes Walls one of a growing number of inmates slated for execution in Florida in 2025 as the state moves ahead with an unusually high pace of capital cases.
Conviction and crime details
Walls was first convicted in 1988 on two counts of murder, two counts of kidnapping, burglary and theft and received a death sentence. The Florida Supreme Court later ordered a new trial; a jury reconvicted Walls and again sentenced him to death in 1992.
Court records say the crimes occurred during a July 1987 break-in at a mobile home in the Florida Panhandle where Eglin Air Force Base airman Edward Alger and his girlfriend, Ann Peterson lived. Prosecutors say Walls tied the couple, and when Alger freed himself and attacked, Walls cut Alger's throat and then shot him in the head. Walls then attacked Peterson and shot her during the struggle.
Links to other crimes and plea agreements
Investigators arrested Walls the day after the bodies were found after a roommate reported concerning behavior to police. Officials said they recovered items at Walls' residence that matched the crime scene evidence, and Walls later admitted to the killings.
Subsequently, DNA connected Walls to the May 1987 rape and slaying of Audrey Gygi. Walls pleaded no contest to that case, avoiding a separate trial and the possibility of an additional death sentence. As part of a deal with prosecutors, Walls also admitted responsibility for the killings of Tommie Lou Whiddon (March 1985) and Cynthia Sue Condra (September 1986).
Appeals and wider context
Attorneys for Walls are expected to file appeals with the Florida Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court. The governor signed Walls' warrant two days before another scheduled execution in the state and after authorizing several other death warrants this year.
So far in 2025, 43 people have been executed nationwide, and Florida has stood out for the number of death warrants signed. The state's most recent execution occurred Nov. 13, when Bryan Frederick Jennings was put to death for the rape and killing of a neighbor.
Note: Names, dates and court outcomes in this article are taken from court records and official statements related to the cases.