Ron DeSantis signed a death warrant Thursday for Billy Leon Kearse, 53, who is scheduled to die by lethal injection March 3 at Florida State Prison. DeSantis, a Republican, oversaw more executions in a single year in 2025 than any other Florida governor since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976. The Florida Supreme Court found that the trial court failed to give jurors certain information about aggravating circumstances and ordered a new sentencing. Kearse fired 14 times, striking the officer nine times in the body and four times in his body armor. Attorneys for Kearse are expected to file appeals to the Florida Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court.