Billy Leon Kearse is set to be executed Tuesday for the 1991 murder of Fort Pierce Police Sgt. Danny Parrish. He would be Florida’s 21st execution in just over a year.
Florida set to execute man who killed Fort Pierce officer in 1991
Parrish was 29 years old when he was killed.
I will be witnessing the execution.
Our team of journalists covered this case 35 years ago and has followed it ever since — including the years Parrish’s widow spent fighting for justice through decades of appeals.
In the days leading up to the execution, I have been digging back into the case — hearing from Parrish’s loved ones and friends, reviewing the appeals process, and examining Florida’s accelerated use of the death penalty…