Michael Zack III Executed for Ravonne Smith’s Murder: Michael Duane Zack III was executed by lethal injection at the Florida State Prison on Tuesday, 3 October 2023, concluding a decades-long legal battle. Since 1997, Zack had been on Florida’s death row for the brutal homicides of two women he had met in Panhandle bars.
His execution was the eighth under Governor Ron DeSantis and the sixth in the state in 2018, highlighting the ongoing controversy surrounding the death penalty.
Michael Zack III’s Final Moments and Legal Obstacles
On the fateful evening as the clock approached 6:00 p.m., Michael Zack III was asked if he had any final remarks. In a touching moment, he responded, “Yes, sir,” and then looked at the witnesses and said, “I love you all.” Notably, Zack refused the traditional last supper offered to him, highlighting the gravity of the situation.
Despite Zack’s imminent execution, his legal team made a desperate effort to halt the process. They asserted that a lower court erred in rejecting his claim that he had an intellectual disability. During Zack’s trial, his defense attorney argued that he was suffering from fetal alcohol syndrome and posttraumatic stress disorder, both of which are classified as cerebral dysfunctions and mental impairments, respectively.
Michael Zack III Executed for Ravonne Smith’s Murder: Reign of Terror Michael Zack III
In June 1996, Michael Zack III embarked on a terrifying nine-day crime rampage, which marked the beginning of his criminal career. Zack was a regular at a local pub in Tallahassee, the state capital, where everything began. A bartender offered him her pickup truck when his girlfriend called him to notify him of an impending eviction. Zack accepted the offer, departed, and never returned, paving the way for a surge of violence.
His travels brought him to a bar in Niceville, Florida, where he made friends with the proprietor of a construction company. When the man discovered that Zack was living in the pickup truck, he extended an invitation for him to remain at his residence. Zack repaid the generosity with thievery, stealing two firearms and $42 that he later pawned.
Zack met Laura Rosillo in yet another establishment and invited her to the beach for a drug-induced encounter. There, he brutally attacked her by dragging her partially clad into the dunes, strangling her, and burying her in the sand. The next day, Zack’s path intersected with Ravonne Smith, setting the stage for another heinous crime.
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Did Michael Zack III did 2 Murders?
Michael Zack III’s murderous rampage culminated with the murder of bar employee Ravonne Smith, who he had befriended. After a night of marijuana use at the shore, Smith brought Zack home, where his violent tendencies manifested. He attacked her by breaking a bottle over her head, throwing her to the ground, raping her, and stabbing her four times in the torso with an oyster knife.
Zack then took Smith’s possessions, including her television, VCR, and purse, and attempted to pawn them. His crime spree culminated in the loss of two lives, the destruction of innumerable others, and the permanent scarring of an entire community.
Michael Zack III Executed for Ravonne Smith’s Murder: The Defense and Controversy of Michael Zack
Zack’s legal team argued vehemently against his execution, citing his possible intellectual disabilities caused by fetal alcohol syndrome and posttraumatic stress disorder despite his heinous offenses. These claims became the focal point of the court conflict that ensued. The Supreme Court of the United States ultimately declined to grant a stay of execution, concluding a lengthy and contentious legal process.
The execution of Zack was the eighth such event officiated over by Governor Ron DeSantis since he assumed office in 2019. This contentious issue has been a pillar of DeSantis’ approach to governance, with an emphasis on stricter and more comprehensive death penalty laws.
As the final chapter of Michael Zack III’s life closes, the debate over the death penalty in Florida and the rest of the country persists. The execution of Zack serves as a stark reminder of the grave and long-lasting effects of violent crimes, as well as the complexity and controversy surrounding the death penalty in the United States.
