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Florida executes 74-year-old inmate, state's oldest death row prisoner
Dusty Ray Spencer, 74, was executed by lethal injection in Florida on Thursday for the 1992 murder of his wife, Karen Spencer. He was the oldest inmate executed in the state's history.
Execution Process
Dusty Ray Spencer, 74, was executed by lethal injection on Thursday at Florida State Prison. He was pronounced dead at 6:10 p.m. local time, becoming the oldest inmate executed in modern Florida history.
Before the execution, Spencer was asked for his final words. He said:
"I'm sorry, to the family I'm sorry. I entrust my soul and my life to your hands. I'm on my way, Lord. I'm on my way. Amen."
After minutes of labored breathing, Spencer became still. The prison warden shook him and called his name several times but received no response. A medical examiner confirmed his death.
Murder and Trial
Spencer was convicted of first-degree murder in the death of his wife, Karen Spencer, in November 1992. Court records show he had threatened to strangle her to death in December 1991 and was arrested. While in jail, he called his wife and said he would "finish what he started" once released.
On January 18, 1992, Spencer struck Karen's teenage son with an iron when the boy tried to stop him from attacking her. About a week later, as the child checked on a commotion outside the home, he saw Spencer hitting his mother in the head with a brick. The teenager tried to fire a rifle but it jammed. After Spencer threatened him with a knife, the boy fled to seek help. When police arrived, Karen Spencer was found dead with multiple stab wounds to her chest.
Spencer was sentenced to death in 1992 for first-degree murder, attempted murder, aggravated assault, and aggravated battery. Two years later, the Florida Supreme Court ordered a resentencing, citing errors in weighing aggravating and mitigating factors. The following year, Spencer was again sentenced to death, and subsequent appeals were denied. The state Supreme Court rejected his final appeal last week, and the U.S. Supreme Court denied it on Thursday.
Florida Execution Records
Spencer's execution was the ninth in Florida this year. The state executed 19 people in 2025, the highest number since capital punishment was reinstated in 1976. Previous records were eight executions in 1984 and 2014.
Florida ranked first in the U.S. for executions in 2025, followed by Alabama, Texas, and South Carolina, each with five executions. A total of 47 people were executed nationwide in 2025.
According to Florida Department of Corrections records dating back to 1924, the oldest inmates previously executed in the state were 72 years old: Samuel Lee Smithers (October 2025) and R. Charlie Gifford (February 1951). Another inmate, Dennis Sochor, also 74, is scheduled for execution on July 14 for the 1982 murder of a woman he met on New Year's Eve.
The oldest person executed in modern times in the U.S. was Walter Leroy Moody, 83, executed in Alabama in 2018. Moody was convicted of sending mail bombs that killed a federal judge and a civil rights attorney during a wave of terror across the South.
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