FORT PIERCE, Fla. (CBS12) — Florida is set to execute a man on Tuesday for the 1991 murder of a Fort Pierce officer as families seek closure and lawyers plead intellectual disability.

The case stems from a routine traffic stop on Jan. 18, 1991, when 29-year-old Sgt. Parrish pulled then-18-year-old Billy Kearse over in Fort Pierce for driving the wrong way down a one-way street.

According to court records, Kearse couldn’t produce a license and gave several aliases. When Parrish tried to handcuff him, a struggle broke out. Kearse grabbed the officer’s gun and fired 14 shots—striking Parrish 13 times.

While the tragedy of Sgt. Parrish’s death is undisputed; defense attorneys and human rights advocates argue that carrying out the death warrant would cross a constitutional line.

Defense teams offer two arguments:

Intellectual Disability: Recent testing suggests Kearse functions at a cognitive level that should legally exempt him from capital punishment. Advocates emphasize that his impulsive actions at 18 were those of a teenager with significant cognitive impairments and a developing brain.A “Flurry” of Executions: Florida has accelerated its pace of capital punishment. If it proceeds, Tuesday’s execution will be the state’s third this year alone.

“Billy Kearse never should have been sentenced to death—let alone executed,” stated capital defense attorney Maria DeLiberato, citing the neurological impulsivity common in late adolescence.

See also: Therapist accused of abusing autistic child faces felony charge

While legal teams make a final push for a stay, those closest to the fallen officer argue that justice has been delayed for far too long.

State Attorney Thomas Bakkedahl and Sgt. Parrish’s widow, Mirtha Busbin, met with Governor Ron DeSantis last month to discuss the warrant.

For them, the 34 years of appeals and legal maneuvering have been an agonizing wait for a resolution they feel is long overdue.

“This is a guilty man who’s had due process on steroids,” Bakkedahl told CBS12. “There’s nothing left to talk about.”

In 2025, Florida broke the record for most executions in modern history when the state put 19 prisoners to death.

CBS12 News Anchor Jim Grimes will be present at Florida State Prison in Raiford to witness the execution and provide updates.

A vigil will be held for Raidord across from the Florida State Prison at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, and the execution will be carried out at 6 p.m.