Florida executes man who set neighbor on fire during home burglary in 1990

Local News Florida man executed Tuesday for setting neighbor on fire during home burglary in 1990 By CBS Miami Team Updated on: April 21, 2026 / 6:54 PM EDT / CBS/AP Add CBS News on Google A Florida man who set his neighbor on fire after she returned from work to find him burglarizing her home was executed Tuesday evening.Chadwick Scott Willacy, 58, received a three-drug injection and was pronounced dead at 6:15 p.m. at Florida State Prison near Starke for the 1990 killing of Marlys Sather. It was Florida's fifth execution this year.The curtain to the execution chamber went up promptly at the scheduled 6:00 p.m. time, and the lethal injection got underway 2 minutes later, after Willacy made a brief statement.He apologized to his own family and friends and urged his " brothers on the row" to stay strong. He maintained his innocence, saying that he would never kill his friend."To the victim's family, I hope this brings you peace. If it does, that's good, " Willacy said. "But this is not right."Shortly after the lethal injection began, a warden shook Willacy and shouted his name, but there was no response. His skin began to turn gray, and a medic eventually entered the chamber to examine Willacy, declaring him dead.Court records indicate Sather had returned to her Palm Bay home for her lunch break in September 1990 and found Willacy burglarizing her home. He struck her in the head with a blunt object, fracturing her skull, and then bound her hands and ankles with wire and tape, according to investigators. Autopsy determined victim was alive when she was set on fireWillacy attempted to strangle Sather with a telephone cord, and when that didn't work, he doused her in gasoline and set her on fire, records show. An autopsy determined that Sather had died from smoke inhalation, indicating she was still alive when she was set ablaze.Willacy also stole Sather's car and other items from her home, and used the woman's ATM card to steal cash, officials said. When Sather failed...