Daijiworld Media Network – Florida
Florida, Jun 26: A 74-year-old death row inmate convicted of murdering his wife was executed by lethal injection in Florida on Thursday, becoming the oldest person put to death in the state's modern history.
Dusty Ray Spencer was pronounced dead at 6.10 pm at Florida State Prison near Starke after receiving a three-drug lethal injection. He had been convicted of the 1992 fatal stabbing of his wife, Karen Spencer.
Before the execution, Spencer apologised to the victim's family and offered a brief prayer.
"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," he said before the execution commenced.
Officials said the execution was carried out without any complications.
According to Florida Department of Corrections records, Spencer is the oldest inmate executed in the state's modern era. The previous oldest inmates executed were both aged 72.
Another 74-year-old inmate, Dennis Sochor, is scheduled to be executed in Florida on July 14 after being convicted of the 1982 murder of a woman he met at a New Year's Eve party.
Court records showed that Spencer had a history of domestic violence. He was arrested in December 1991 for choking and threatening to kill his wife. While in jail, he reportedly warned her that he would "finish what he had started" after his release.
On January 18, 1992, Spencer attacked his wife's teenage son with a clothes iron when the boy attempted to protect his mother. About a week later, authorities said Spencer assaulted Karen Spencer outside their home, striking her with a brick before fatally stabbing her multiple times. The victim's son attempted to intervene, but his rifle reportedly misfired before Spencer threatened him with a knife. Police later found Karen Spencer dead at the scene.
Spencer was initially sentenced to death in 1992 after being convicted of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, aggravated assault and aggravated battery. Although the Florida Supreme Court ordered a fresh sentencing in 1994 due to procedural errors, he was again sentenced to death in 1995, with subsequent appeals being rejected.
His lawyers had argued that his advanced age and medical conditions, including liver disease, made the execution unconstitutional and likely to cause unnecessary suffering. However, both the Florida Supreme Court and the US Supreme Court declined to halt the execution.
Spencer's execution was the ninth carried out in Florida this year, continuing the state's increased use of the death penalty under Governor Ron DeSantis. All executions in Florida are carried out through a three-drug lethal injection protocol comprising a sedative, a paralytic agent and a drug that stops the heart.