TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Frank Athen Walls, a 58-year-old man convicted of two murders during a home invasion robbery, is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection on December 18 at Florida State Prison. The death warrant, signed by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, marks a significant moment in Florida's execution history, as it paves the way for a record number of executions in a single year since the reinstatement of the death penalty in 1976. With Walls' execution, he will become the 19th person executed in Florida in 2025, surpassing the previous record of eight executions set in 2014.
Governor DeSantis signed the death warrant just two days before the scheduled execution of another convicted killer, Richard Barry Randolph, while Mark Allen Geralds is also set to die on December 9. Walls has been on death row since his convictions for two counts of murder, two counts of kidnapping, burglary, and theft, originally sentenced to death in 1988. However, the Florida Supreme Court reversed this conviction and ordered a retrial, where he was re-convicted and sentenced to death again in 1992.
The horrific details of Walls' crimes took place in July 1987, when he broke into the mobile home of Eglin Air Force Base airman Edward Alger and his girlfriend, Ann Peterson. During the home invasion, Walls tied the couple up. Alger broke free and struggled against Walls, leading to a violent confrontation where Walls cut Alger's throat and then shot him in the head. Afterward, Walls turned his attention to Peterson, shooting her as she attempted to escape.
Just a day after the bodies were discovered, Walls was arrested following a report from his roommate, who noticed Walls' erratic behavior. Investigators found various items at Walls' home that linked him to the crime scene, and he later confessed to the murders. Subsequent DNA evidence also tied Walls to the rape and murder of Audrey Gygi in May 1987, for which he pleaded no contest, thereby avoiding another trial and potential death sentence. Additionally, he admitted responsibility for two other murders: Tommie Lou Whiddon in March 1985 and Cynthia Sue Condra in September 1986 as part of a plea deal with prosecutors.
Attorneys for Walls are anticipated to file appeals to the Florida Supreme Court and potentially to the U.S. Supreme Court in an effort to halt the impending execution. As of now, a total of 43 people have been executed in the United States in 2025, with Florida leading the country in the number of death warrants issued under Governor DeSantis. The most recent execution in the state occurred on November 13, when Bryan Frederick Jennings was put to death after being convicted of the brutal rape and murder of his neighbor.
