A man convicted of killing a traveling salesman in 1989 has become the first person executed in Florida this year. Ronald Palmer Heath, 64, was pronounced dead at 6:12 pm on Tuesday after receiving a three-drug lethal injection at the Florida state prison near Starke. Heath was found guilty of first-degree murder, robbery with a deadly weapon, and other charges in the death of Michael Sheridan. He and his brother, Kenneth Heath, met Sheridan at a Gainesville bar in May 1989. The three went to a remote area to smoke marijuana. The brothers planned to rob Sheridan. Kenneth pulled a handgun and shot Sheridan in the chest. Ronald Heath kicked and stabbed Sheridan, while Kenneth shot him twice in the head. They dumped his body in the woods and stole items from his rental car. The brothers used Sheridan's credit cards to buy clothes at a mall. Ronald was arrested weeks later in Georgia after investigators linked him to the stolen cards and found Sheridan’s watch. Kenneth Heath pleaded guilty and got life in prison. Ronald Heath’s appeals were denied by the Florida Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis oversaw a record 19 executions in 2025. This year marks the beginning of more executions in Florida, with two more scheduled for February and March. All Florida executions use a three-drug injection: a sedative, a paralytic, and a heart-stopping drug.