Killer’s Last Words Revealed As He Becomes Florida’s Oldest Executed Inmate

A 74-year-old man convicted of fatally stabbing his woman became nan oldest personification executed successful Florida connected Thursday, arsenic nan authorities prepares to put different 74-year-old inmate to decease adjacent month.

Dusty Ray Spencer was pronounced dormant astatine 6:10 p.m. aft receiving a three-drug lethal injection astatine Florida State Prison adjacent Starke. He was sentenced to decease for nan 1992 stabbing execution of his wife, Karen Spencer.

The curtain to nan execution enclosure roseate promptly astatine 6 p.m., and nan prison guard asked Spencer whether he wished to make a last statement.

Lying strapped to a gurney pinch an IV successful his arm, Spencer responded: “Sorry, sorry to nan family. Into thy hands I perpetrate my tone and my soul. I’m connected my way, Lord. I’m connected my way. Amen." A belief advisor stood adjacent astatine nan ft of nan array arsenic he spoke.

Immediately aft his words, nan lethal narcotics began flowing and, aft a fewer minutes of labored breathing, Spencer ceased each movements.

The prison guard past shook Spencer and shouted his sanction respective times, but location was nary response. Several much minutes elapsed earlier a medic was called successful to cheque Spencer’s captious signs, and nan inmate was declared dead.

Alex Lanfranconi, successful nan agency of Gov. Ron DeSantis, told The Associated Press successful a matter connection that location were nary complications. He had nary contiguous consequence to further telephone and matter messages seeking remark astir nan ages of nan inmate executed Thursday and nan adjacent facing execution.

The family of nan unfortunate released nary statement.

Florida Department of Corrections records show nan oldest inmates antecedently executed by nan authorities were some 72 — Samuel Lee Smithers connected Oct. 14, 2025, for nan 1996 killings of 2 women; and R. Charlie Gifford connected Feb. 21, 1951, for nan 1950 shooting decease of a authorities lawmaker, Charles Schuh Jr.

Another 74-year-old Florida inmate, Dennis Sochor, is scheduled to beryllium executed connected July 14. Socor was convicted of sidesplitting a female conscionable hours into 1982 aft gathering her astatine a New Year’s Eve party.

Nationwide, nan oldest personification ever executed successful modern times was Walter Leroy Moody Jr., 83, who was put to decease successful Alabama successful 2018 for sending message bombs during a activity of Southern terror, sidesplitting a national judge and a Black civilian authorities attorney.

Thursday's execution was nan ninth successful Florida this twelvemonth aft a grounds 19 executions successful 2025. DeSantis, a Republican, oversaw much executions successful a azygous twelvemonth successful 2025 than immoderate different Florida politician since nan decease punishment was reinstated successful 1976. The erstwhile grounds was 8 executions group successful 2014.

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

On Jan. 18, 1992, Spencer hit his wife’s teenage boy pinch a apparel robust erstwhile nan boy tried to extremity Spencer from attacking his mother, officials said. Then astir a week later, nan boy responded to a commotion extracurricular their location and recovered Spencer hitting his mother successful nan caput pinch a brick, according to officials.

Court records show nan teen tried to sprout Spencer pinch a rifle, but nan weapon misfired. Spencer 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 his 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 were denied.

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

The U.S. Supreme Court rejected a last entreaty earlier Thursday without comment.

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