Florida has scheduled its third execution of 2026 after Governor Ron DeSantis signed a death warrant for Billy Leon Kearse, who is set to be executed by lethal injection on March 3. Kearse was convicted in the 1991 killing of Fort Pierce Officer Danny Parrish, was originally sentenced to death in 1991 and resentenced in 1997. Two more executions are already scheduled for February, and Florida led the nation in executions in 2025. Kearse's attorneys are expected to appeal to state and federal courts.
Florida Schedules Third Execution of 2026 After DeSantis Signs Death Warrant for Billy Leon Kearse
FILE -The entrance to Florida State Prison in Starke, Fla. is shown Thursday, Aug. 3, 2023. (AP Photo/Curt Anderson)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A man convicted of killing a police officer with the officer's own service weapon during a 1991 traffic stop is scheduled to be Florida's third execution of 2026, keeping the state on pace to match or exceed last year's record number of executions.
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a death warrant Thursday for Billy Leon Kearse, 53. Kearse is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection on March 3, 2026, at Florida State Prison.
Case Background
Kearse was originally convicted in 1991 of first-degree murder and robbery with a firearm and sentenced to death. The Florida Supreme Court later found that the trial court had not properly instructed jurors about certain aggravating circumstances and ordered a new sentencing hearing. At the 1997 resentencing, Kearse was again given the death penalty.
According to court records, Fort Pierce Police Officer Danny Parrish pulled over Kearse in January 1991 after spotting him driving the wrong way on a one-way street. When Kearse could not produce a valid driver's license, Parrish ordered him out of the vehicle and attempted to handcuff him. A struggle followed, prosecutors say, and Kearse seized Parrish's service pistol and fired 14 times, striking the officer multiple times. Parrish was taken to a nearby hospital, where he later died.
Procedural Status and Appeals
Attorneys for Kearse are expected to file appeals with the Florida Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court. The case's procedural history — including the resentencing ordered by the state high court — remains central to Kearse's post-conviction litigation.
Statewide Context
Florida has already scheduled two other executions for February 2026: Ronald Palmer Heath, 64, on Feb. 10, and Melvin Trotter, 65, on Feb. 24. The state led the nation in executions in 2025 as Gov. DeSantis signed a large number of death warrants; 47 people were executed across the U.S. that year, the highest total since 2009.
DeSantis defended the increase in executions as an effort to deliver justice to victims' families: 'Some of these crimes were committed in the ’80s. Justice delayed is justice denied. I felt I owed it to them to make sure this ran very smoothly. If I honestly thought someone was innocent, I would not pull the trigger.'
According to the Florida Department of Corrections, executions in the state are carried out by lethal injection using a sedative, a paralytic and a drug that stops the heart.
What Happens Next
Kearse's attorneys are expected to pursue all available appeals. Any stays or procedural developments from the Florida Supreme Court or the U.S. Supreme Court could affect the scheduled date.
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