In his final moments, Ronald Palmer Heath offered only nine words: “I’m sorry. That’s all I can say. Thank you.” Minutes later, at 6:12 pm on Tuesday, he was pronounced dead at Florida State Prison. The 64-year-old showed little outward reaction as a lethal cocktail of drugs was administered, his eyes closing as he appeared to drift into stillness.
Heath’s execution marked Florida’s first of the year, following a staggering record of nineteen in the previous year. His case stemmed from the 1989 murder of traveling salesman Michael Sheridan, a crime born from a chance encounter at a Gainesville bar with Heath and his brother, Kenneth.
The initial meeting was casual, the three men socializing before agreeing to seek a place to smoke marijuana. But on a remote dirt road, the atmosphere shifted dramatically. Investigators revealed a calculated plan by the Heath brothers to rob Sheridan, transforming a simple evening into a descent into violence.
Kenneth Heath first brandished a gun, demanding money. When Sheridan refused, he was shot in the chest. Still conscious, Sheridan began to empty his pockets, only to be kicked by Ronald and then stabbed with a hunting knife. Kenneth then fired two more shots into Sheridan’s head, ending his life.
The brothers callously disposed of Sheridan’s body in nearby woods before returning to Gainesville. They then brazenly rifled through and robbed Sheridan’s rental car, a decision that ultimately led to their capture. Multiple purchases made with the victim’s credit cards created a clear trail for law enforcement.
Ronald Heath was convicted of first-degree murder, armed robbery, and forgery, receiving a death sentence. His brother, Kenneth, however, took a different path, striking a plea deal to testify against Ronald in exchange for a life sentence with the possibility of parole after 25 years – a possibility he now faces.
Advocates with Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty maintained Heath’s innocence, arguing the sentence was a grave injustice. They pointed to the disparity in sentencing, noting that Kenneth, the acknowledged shooter, could one day be released while Ronald would remain buried.
Court records paint a different picture, describing Ronald as the instigator of the robbery and the one who urged his brother to use his weapon. Jurors found him guilty of first-degree murder after considering the evidence of premeditation and the brutality of the act, a verdict upheld through decades of appeals.
Florida’s 2025 saw an unprecedented nineteen executions, surpassing the previous record of eight set in 2014. Governor Ron DeSantis oversaw more executions than any Florida governor since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976.
Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty condemned the surge in executions as a “politicized, frantic, and disproportionate” spree. Two more executions are already scheduled: Melvin Trotter on February 24th, and Billy Leon Kearse a week later on March 3rd.
