The execution of Chadwick Scott Willacy in April 2026 closed a homicide case that had remained active in Florida’s courts for more than three decades. Willacy was convicted of the 1990 murder of his neighbor, Marlys Mae Sather, in Palm Bay, Florida. The case became one of Brevard County’s most notorious murder investigations due to the brutality of the crime and the extensive evidence that prosecutors later presented at trial.
According to investigators, the crime occurred on September 5, 1990, when 56-year-old Sather unexpectedly returned home during her lunch break and discovered Willacy burglarizing her residence. Detectives determined that what began as a burglary quickly escalated into a violent attack. Prosecutors said Willacy struck Sather with a blunt object, bound her hands and feet, and attempted to strangle her with a telephone cord.
Crime scene investigators later uncovered evidence indicating that the attack did not end there. Authorities alleged that Willacy poured gasoline on Sather and inside the residence before setting the home on fire. Investigators also found evidence suggesting efforts were made to intensify the blaze, including the placement of a fan to help spread the flames. The medical examiner ultimately concluded that Sather died from smoke inhalation, indicating she was still alive when the fire began.
As detectives reconstructed the crime, they gathered substantial physical and circumstantial evidence linking Willacy to the murder. Investigators recovered Sather’s personal property, including financial items that prosecutors said connected him directly to the burglary. Authorities also obtained evidence showing attempts to use the victim’s bank card after the attack. Combined with forensic findings and witness information, prosecutors argued that the evidence established a clear timeline of the crime.
A Brevard County jury convicted Willacy in 1991 of first-degree murder, burglary with assault, robbery, and arson. Although Florida’s Supreme Court later ordered a new penalty phase, a second jury again recommended a death sentence in 1995 by an overwhelming vote. Over the next three decades, Willacy pursued numerous appeals through both state and federal courts, but each challenge was ultimately rejected.
In March 2026, Governor Ron DeSantis signed a death warrant scheduling Willacy’s execution for April 21. Courts denied his final appeals, clearing the way for the sentence to be carried out. During the execution process, Willacy maintained that he was innocent of murdering Sather, while also expressing hope that her family could find peace. He was pronounced dead at Florida State Prison on April 21, 2026.
For investigators and the victim’s family, the execution marked the conclusion of a case that began with a routine lunch break and ended in a devastating homicide. The investigation remains remembered as a combination of meticulous crime-scene work, forensic analysis, financial evidence, and decades of legal review that ultimately upheld the conviction. More than 35 years after Marlys Sather’s death, the case reached its final chapter in Florida’s criminal justice system.
