Death Row Inmate Set to Die in Less Than a Month as Court Fast-Tracks Final Appeal
The Florida Supreme Court is expediting legal proceedings in the case of death row inmate Anthony Floyd Wainwright, following the signing of a death warrant by Governor Ron DeSantis. Wainwright is scheduled to be executed at 6:00 p.m. on June 10, 2025, for the 1994 murder of a Florida woman.
The case, Anthony Floyd Wainwright v. State of Florida (SC2025-0708), is currently classified as a Rule 3.851 successor postconviction appeal, a legal avenue reserved for death penalty cases where new claims of error are raised after initial appeals are exhausted. Wainwright’s latest filing marks his eighth attempt at postconviction relief.
On May 20, the Court issued an order confirming receipt of the Notice of Appeal and is now enforcing an expedited briefing schedule:
- The record on appeal by May 21
- The initial legal brief by Wainwright’s defense must be submitted by May 23
- The state’s response is due by May 27
- A final reply brief is due May 28
The order also notes that oral arguments will be scheduled only if deemed necessary by the Court.
Wainwright is represented by attorney Baya Harrison III, while the State is represented by Charmaine Millsaps.
Wainwright, originally convicted in Hamilton County, has spent decades on death row following his conviction in a case that drew national attention due to its brutality and multistate manhunt. His most recent motion was summarily denied by the lower tribunal, prompting this latest appeal.
In accordance with Florida law, all parties involved must simultaneously file pleadings with the state’s Supreme Court and any federal courts, ensuring transparency and synchronized timelines as the execution date approaches.
Wainwright’s execution marks the sixth to be scheduled in Florida in 2025. Just days before his warrant was signed, another high-profile inmate—convicted serial killer Glen Edward Rogers—was executed by lethal injection on May 15.
