Edward Zakrzewski, a Florida man convicted of brutally murdering his wife and two young children nearly three decades ago, shared his chilling last words before he was executed on July 31 after spending over 20 years on death row.
He became the ninth person executed in the state this year, as Florida continues its controversial push to expedite capital punishment, WUSF reports.
Zakrzewski, 60, was pronounced dead following a lethal injection procedure that involved three drugs: a sedative, a paralytic, and a final injection that stopped his heart. His execution was carried out at Florida State Prison in Raiford.
He was sentenced to death in 1994 after being found guilty of murdering his wife, Sylvia, along with their seven-year-old son and five-year-old daughter, in their Mary Esther home.
The murders were described as especially brutal. Zakrzewski first attacked his wife with a crowbar, then strangled her with a rope. When he believed she might still be alive, he used a machete to finish the act, according to Sky News.
He then turned the weapon on his children, killing them in a similarly horrific manner. The bodies were discovered in the family’s bathtub.
After the murders, Zakrzewski fled the state, eventually settling on Molokai Island in Hawaii.
His whereabouts remained unknown for months until he was identified by a minister who recognized him from an episode of Unsolved Mysteries. Zakrzewski subsequently surrendered to authorities.
During his trial, prosecutors revealed that Zakrzewski murdered his family to prevent his wife from divorcing him.
In his final statement before the execution, he delivered a chilling and bitter message: "I want to thank the good people of the Sunshine State for killing me in the most cold, calculated, clean, humane, efficient way possible. I have no complaint," he said, per The Guardian.
His execution followed the rejection of a last-minute legal challenge. Zakrzewski’s attorneys argued that his original 7–5 jury vote for death would not meet the requirements under current Florida law, which now mandates a unanimous recommendation for capital punishment. However, the courts upheld the original sentence.
According to officials, his final meal included fried pork chops, fried onions, potatoes, bacon, toast, root beer, ice cream, pie, and coffee.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has made expediting executions a part of his administration’s policy. Earlier this year, he emphasized the importance of providing closure to victims’ families, stating (via PBS): “There are some crimes that are just so horrific, the only appropriate punishment is the death penalty.”
Florida is now on track to surpass Texas in executions for the first time since 1984.