Killer Set To Be Executed In Florida After Insisting He Is Too Old To Face Death Penalty

A 74-year-old decease statement inmate is group to beryllium put to decease Thursday aft arguing that his precocious age would make nan execution sadistic and unusual.

Dusty Ray Spencer is scheduled to person a three-drug injection astatine 6 p.m. astatine Florida State Prison adjacent Starke for nan 1992 stabbing decease of his woman Karen.

The execution would people Florida’s ninth to day this year, pursuing a grounds 19 executions successful 2025. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis oversaw much executions successful a azygous twelvemonth successful 2025 than immoderate different Florida politician since nan death penalty was brought backmost successful 1976. The erstwhile grounds was 8 executions group successful 2014.

Spencer was arrested aft choking and threatening to termination Karen Spencer successful December 1991. While successful jail, he called his woman and warned her that erstwhile he sewage out, he was going to decorativeness what he started.

Spencer hit his wife's teenage boy pinch a apparel robust connected Jan. 18, 1992, erstwhile nan boy tried to extremity Spencer from attacking his mother. About a week later, nan boy heard a commotion extracurricular their location and recovered Spencer hitting his mother successful nan caput pinch a brick.

The teen tried to sprout Spencer pinch a firearm but nan weapon misfired. Spencer past threatened nan teen pinch a knife, and nan boy ran distant to get help. When constabulary arrived, they recovered Karen Spencer dormant pinch respective stab wounds to nan chest.

Spencer was initially sentenced to decease successful 1992 aft being convicted of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, aggravated battle and aggravated battery. In 1994, nan Florida Supreme Court ordered a caller sentencing aft uncovering that nan proceedings tribunal had mishandled evaluating aggravating and mitigating circumstances. Spencer was resentenced to decease nan adjacent year, and consequent appeals person been denied.

Last week, nan authorities Supreme Court rejected Spencer's appeals. His attorneys had based on that he has wellness issues specified arsenic liver illness that airs a heightened consequence of symptom and suffering and based on that executing him astatine his precocious property would represent sadistic and different punishment.

“Dusty’s ineligible squad is arguing that Florida’s lethal injection protocol is unconstitutional, arsenic location are concerns astir nan narcotics being utilized and really that will interact pinch his liver condition,” nan Catholic Mobilizing Network, which opposes nan decease penalty, wrote. “Dusty is 74 years aged and would beryllium nan oldest personification ever executed successful Florida. Executing a man of his aged and frail authorities would break nan 8th Amendment.”

A last entreaty is still pending earlier nan U.S. Supreme Court.

A full of 47 group were executed successful nan U.S. successful 2025. Florida led nan measurement pinch a flurry of decease warrants signed by DeSantis. Alabama, South Carolina and Texas tied for 2nd pinch 5 executions each.

Another execution is scheduled successful Florida for July 14. Dennis Sochor, 74, was convicted of sidesplitting a female conscionable hours into 1982 aft gathering her astatine a New Year’s Eve party.

All Florida executions are carried retired by lethal injection of a sedative, a paralytic and a supplier that stops nan heart, according to nan Department of Corrections.