Florida executed 74-year-old Dusty Ray Spencer on Thursday evening for the 1992 stabbing death of his wife. He is the oldest person executed in the state’s modern history.
Spencer was pronounced dead at 6:10 p.m. following a three-drug lethal injection at Florida State Prison near Starke. The execution sequence began at 6 p.m. when the death chamber curtain was raised. The warden asked Spencer, who was strapped to a table with an IV line, if he wished to make a final statement.
“Sorry, sorry to the family. Into thy hands I commit my spirit and my soul. I’m on my way, Lord. I’m on my way. Amen,” Spencer said, while a spiritual adviser stood at the foot of the table.
The lethal drugs began flowing immediately after his statement. Spencer exhibited labored breathing for a few minutes before he stopped moving. The warden shook Spencer and called his name multiple times, receiving no response. A medical professional examined Spencer several minutes later and pronounced him dead.
Alex Lanfranconi, from the office of Gov. Ron DeSantis, stated in a text message to The Associated Press that there were no complications during the procedure.
Florida Department of Corrections records dating back to 1924 show the previous oldest inmates executed by the state were both 72 years old. Samuel Lee Smithers was executed on Oct. 14, 2025, for the 1996 killings of two women. R. Charlie Gifford was executed on Feb. 21, 1951, for the 1950 shooting death of State Lawmaker Charles Schuh Jr.
Another 74-year-old Florida inmate, Dennis Sochor, is scheduled to be executed on July 14. Sochor was convicted of killing a woman in 1982 after meeting her at a New Year’s Eve party. Nationally, the oldest person executed in modern times was Walter Leroy Moody Jr., who was 83 when Alabama put him to death in 2018 for a series of mail bomb attacks.
Thursday’s execution was the ninth in Florida this year. In 2025, the state carried out a record 19 executions under Governor DeSantis. The previous state record was eight executions, set in 2014.
According to court records, Spencer was arrested in December 1991 for choking and threatening to kill his wife, Karen Spencer. While held in jail, Spencer called his wife and told her he would finish what he started when he was released.
On Jan. 18, 1992, Spencer used a clothes iron to beat his wife’s teenage son, who was attempting to stop Spencer from attacking his mother. Roughly a week later, the son went outside after hearing a disturbance and found Spencer hitting his mother in the head with a brick.
Court documents indicate the teenager tried to shoot Spencer with a rifle, but the weapon misfired. Spencer threatened the boy with a knife, and the teenager ran to get help. When police arrived, they found Karen Spencer dead with multiple stab wounds to her chest.
Spencer was convicted of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, aggravated assault, and aggravated battery. He was sentenced to death in 1992, but the Florida Supreme Court ordered a new sentencing phase in 1994, ruling that the trial court had improperly evaluated aggravating and mitigating factors. Spencer was sentenced to death again in 1995.
Last week, the state Supreme Court denied Spencer’s final appeals. His defense attorneys argued that his advanced age made execution cruel and unusual punishment. They also stated that his liver disease created a heightened risk of severe pain and suffering during the lethal injection process. The U.S. Supreme Court rejected a final appeal on Thursday afternoon without comment.
READ: Alabama Sets Execution Date For Georgia Man Convicted In Horrific Killing Of 5-Year-Old Girl
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