Florida has set an execution date for death row inmate Frank Athen Walls, closing a decades-long chapter in one of the state’s most notorious true-crime cases. Walls, convicted in multiple killings tied to a violent string of crimes across the mid-1980s, is scheduled to die by lethal injection in December 2025.
Per a recently signed death warrant, Walls’ execution will take place at Florida State Prison, marking a significant development after years of appeals and retrials. The timeline of his crimes and convictions spans from 1985 through 1987, with a legal history that extends more than three decades.
Who Is Frank Athen Walls?
Frank Athen Walls is a convicted serial killer whose crimes in the Florida Panhandle stunned the state and prompted multiple investigations that ultimately connected him to several homicides. He was first sentenced to death in 1988 after being found guilty on two counts of murder, two counts of kidnapping, burglary, and theft.
Walls’ name entered the headlines following a violent home invasion in July 1987 at a mobile home linked to Eglin Air Force Base airman Edward Alger and his girlfriend, Ann Peterson. According to court records viewed by CBS News, Walls broke into the residence, tied up the couple, and then turned the robbery into a deadly attack. Alger managed to break free and confront the intruder, but Walls fatally wounded him. Peterson was also killed during the assault.
Police arrested Walls the day after the bodies were discovered. Investigators quickly zeroed in on him when his roommate contacted authorities about his unusual behavior. A subsequent search of Walls’ residence uncovered items that linked him to the scene, and he later admitted to carrying out the murders.
The Crimes Tied To Walls
While the 1987 double homicide brought Walls to the attention of law enforcement, investigators later connected him to additional slayings. DNA evidence linked Walls to the rape and murder of Audrey Gygi in May 1987, per CBS News. In that case, Walls pleaded no contest.
As part of a broader agreement with prosecutors, Walls also admitted involvement in two other homicides: the March 1985 killing of Tommie Lou Whiddon and the September 1986 killing of Cynthia Sue Condra. The string of admissions painted a wider picture of violence that prosecutors used to underscore the threat Walls posed to the community during the mid-1980s.
In each instance, investigators relied on a combination of physical evidence, witness accounts, and Walls’ own statements to construct a timeline that tied him to the crimes. The accumulation of cases ultimately formed the backbone of the state’s argument for capital punishment.
Walls’ cases have drawn attention over the years for the way they unfolded across different investigations, as well as for the methodical way the evidence pieced together. The legal record reflects a grim timeline: a series of attacks over multiple years, a high-profile arrest, and a conviction that was later challenged and retried.
Execution Timeline And What To Know
Walls’ legal journey has been lengthy and complex. Although he initially received the death penalty in 1988, the Florida Supreme Court later reversed that conviction and ordered a new trial. In 1992, a jury again found Walls guilty, and he was re-sentenced to death.
More than 30 years after his re-sentencing, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a death warrant on November 18 authorizing the state to carry out the execution. According to the warrant, Walls is scheduled to be put to death on December 18, 2025, at Florida State Prison.
The warrant arrives amid a series of scheduled executions in the state. Walls is the 19th person to be set for execution in Florida in 2025, while two other inmates are also scheduled to be executed before the end of the year. Inmate Richard Barry Randolph is slated for Thursday, November 20, and convicted killer Mark Allen Geralds is expected to receive a lethal injection on December 9.
The December date for Walls’ execution follows years of motions, appeals, and procedural steps that are typical in capital cases, particularly those with multiple convictions and complex evidentiary histories. The record indicates that the courts have revisited Walls’ case over decades, but the latest warrant sets a firm end date on the state’s longstanding prosecution.
Walls’ case remains a stark example of Florida’s approach to capital punishment, especially in cases involving multiple homicides and corroborating forensic evidence. While the legal system allows for extensive review in death penalty matters, the final determination in Walls’ case underscores the courts’ confidence in the verdict reached through two separate trials.
As the execution date approaches, the focus remains on the official timeline: a 1987 home invasion that resulted in the murders of Edward Alger and Ann Peterson; a growing body of evidence connecting Walls to additional killings; a reversed conviction that led to a second death sentence in 1992; and, ultimately, the November death warrant that scheduled the execution for December 18, 2025.
For those following the case, the state’s latest action provides clear closure on the procedural front. Walls’ execution, now formally calendared, is the final step in a case that has spanned the better part of four decades.
