Edward James Zakrzewski II was a U.S. Air Force Technical Sergeant turned convicted murderer, whose shocking familicide in Okaloosa County, Florida, in 1994 and long death‑row saga culminated in his executed death in July 2025. His case garnered headlines due to the brutal nature of the crime, his military background, and the legal controversies surrounding his death sentences.
Edward Zakrzewski – Early life
He born on January 31, 1965, Zakrzewski was raised in Michigan, one of multiple siblings. After joining the U.S. Air Force, he was stationed in South Korea, where he met Sylvia (Im Pun), his future wife. They married in the mid‑1980s and later returned to the U.S. with their two children. By 1994, the family lived in Mary Esther, Florida, near Eglin Air Force Base.
Edward Zakrzewski – The Murders (June 9, 1994)
On June 9, Zakrzewski purchased a machete during lunch and returned home to hide it, along with a crowbar and rope. When his family returned later that day, he brutally attacked:
First, he struck Sylvia on the head multiple times with the crowbar, dragged her from the living room to a bedroom, and strangled her.
Next, he called his son Edward into the bathroom under the pretext of brushing his teeth and killed him with machete blows defensive wounds showed a struggle.
He then summoned his daughter Anna into the same bathroom and killed her similarly some evidence suggests she was forced to kneel near her brother before her death.
Not convinced Sylvia was dead, he returned to further stab her with the machete.
Edward Zakrzewski – Escape & Arrest
After the murders, Zakrzewski fled to Orlando, then flew to Hawaii, changed his name, and lived in a religious commune while evading capture. He eventually surrendered on October 15, 1994 after his photo was broadcast on Unsolved Mysteries.
Edward Zakrzewski – Career (Military & Legal)
Zakrzewski had served honorably in the Air Force and received commendations for his service. In March 1996, he pleaded guilty to first-degree murder for all three deaths. At sentencing, a jury recommended: death (7–5) for his wife and son, and life for his daughter due to a hung vote (6–6). But Judge G. Robert Barron legally overrode the jury and imposed the death penalty for all three counts, citing aggravating factors: previous capital offenses, cold and calculated planning, and especially heinous cruelty.
Edward Zakrzewski – Appeals & Death Row
Zakrzewski’s attorneys filed extensive appeals over decades. A key issue: his death sentences were approved by a narrow jury majority a split that Florida law later disallowed, but the courts ruled the change was not retroactive. All appeals including to the U.S. Supreme Court were denied.
On July 22, 2025, the Florida Supreme Court rejected Edward Zakrzewski’s challenge to his death sentences. Days later, on July 30, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court declined his final request to halt the execution.
Edward Zakrzewski – Execution (July 31, 2025)
On July 1, 2025, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed the warrant scheduling Zakrzewski’s execution for July 31. At age 60, Zakrzewski became the ninth person executed in Florida that year a state-record number since the modern death penalty era.
The execution used a three-drug lethal injection protocol. At 6:12 PM at Florida State Prison, Zakrzewski was pronounced dead. In his final meal he requested fried pork chops, root beer, and ice cream. His final words:
“I want to thank the good people of the Sunshine State for killing me in the most cold, calculated, clean, humane, efficient way possible. I have no complaint.”
Edward Zakrzewski – Personal Life
Zakrzewski’s marriage to Sylvia produced two young children, Edward III (“Kim”) and Anna. Before the tragedy, friends and family described him as a loving husband and father, devoted to both his family life and military service. His defense later claimed emotional distress stemming from alleged marital issues, including adultery and gambling, drove him to this act an argument rejected in court.
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