William Silvia was sentenced to death by the State of Florida for the murder of Patricia Silvia
According to court documents William Silvia would go to the home of Patricia Silvia, his estranged wife, and would shoot and kill her and then would shoot his mother in law who would survive her injuries
William Silvia would be arrested, convicted and sentenced to death
William Silvia execution is scheduled for August 18 2026
William Silvia Photos
William Silvia Now
| DC Number: | 512579 |
|---|---|
| Name: | SILVIA, WILLIAM F |
| Race: | WHITE |
| Sex: | MALE |
| Birth Date: | 03/25/1965 |
| Initial Receipt Date: | 01/29/2009 |
| Current Facility: | UNION C.I. |
| Current Custody: | MAXIMUM |
| Current Release Date: | DEATH SENTENCE |
William Silvia Case
Florida Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the conviction and death sentence of a homeless man who killed his estranged wife in 2006 at her Seminole County home.
William Silvia Jr. was sentenced to death in 2009 for fatally shooting Patricia Silvia, 39, at her Casselberry-area home in September 2006.
Her mother, Betty Woodard, was wounded in the head during the shooting. William Silvia was also sentenced to life for attempted murder for injuring his mother-in-law
William Silvia Execution Scheduled
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a death warrant Friday for 61-year-old William Frances Silvia, who was convicted of fatally shooting his estranged wife in 2006.
Silvia is scheduled to die by lethal injection at Florida State Prison on Aug. 18, with the execution window set from noon Aug. 18 to noon Aug. 25.
Florida Death Penalty Warrants
The backstory:
In 2008, Silvia was convicted of first-degree murder for the death of Patricia Silvia and received a life sentence for the attempted first-degree murder of her mother, Betty Woodard.
Court records show Silvia bought a Mossberg Persuader 12 gauge shotgun and four boxes of shells about five hours before driving to Woodard’s home during a family cookout on Sept. 22, 2006.
After attempting to reconcile with his estranged wife, he retrieved the gun from his truck, fired one shot in the air, six shots into the carport and house, and shot Woodard in the face and Patricia Silvia in the head.
Woodard survived after losing her left eye and top portion of her nose, while Patricia Silvia died at the scene.
Police Investigation and Arrest
What they’re saying:
Silvia fled the scene in his truck and was arrested the following day.
While being transported to jail, Silvia told an officer that he shot his wife because she spent all his money and began re-dating her ex-husband.
The jury voted 11-1 to recommend the death penalty, and sentencing orders noted video of the gun purchase showed him displaying no bizarre or agitated behavior.
State Execution Schedule
By the numbers:
This warrant marks the 13th death warrant signed by DeSantis this year, following a modern era record of 19 executions in 2025.
Two other death row inmates, 68-year-old James Aren Duckett and 80-year-old Dominick Anthony Occhicone, are scheduled for execution on June 28.
Occhicone is set to become the oldest person executed by Florida in the modern era for killing his former girlfriend’s parents four decades ago in Pasco County.
DeSantis issued a new warrant for Duckett on Tuesday after the Florida Supreme Court stayed his execution for additional DNA testing regarding the 1987 death of 11-year-old Teresa McAbee.
On Tuesday, Florida completed its 10th execution of the year, putting 74-year-old Dennis Sochor to death for a 1982 murder in Broward County.
Ongoing Legal Process
What we don’t know:
Authorities have not stated whether Silvia’s defense team plans to file last-minute appeals to stay the scheduled execution.
It remains unknown if additional legal challenges will alter the execution times set for other inmates scheduled on June 28.
DeSantis signs death warrant for man convicted of 2006 murder | FOX 13 Tampa Bay
