Florida Set to Execute 74-Year-Old Man Convicted of Murder
A 74-year-old man, Dusty Ray Spencer, who was found guilty of fatally stabbing his wife, is scheduled to be executed in Florida. The lethal injection is set for 6 p.m. at Florida State Prison located near Starke, following his conviction for the 1992 murder of Karen Spencer.
Florida leads the nation in executions this year, continuing a trend that saw a record 19 executions in 2025 under Governor Ron DeSantis. This recent surge has surpassed the previous record of eight executions reached in 1984 and matched again in 2014.
According to court records, Dusty was arrested in December 1991 after he choked and threatened to kill Karen. While incarcerated, he allegedly warned her over the phone that he intended to complete his attack upon his release.
In a violent incident in January 1992, he assaulted his wife’s teenage son with a clothing iron when the boy tried to defend her. Shortly after, the boy witnessed Dusty strike his mother with a brick outside their home.
As the teenager attempted to shoot Dusty with a rifle, the gun misfired. Dusty then threatened him with a knife, prompting the boy to flee for help. When police arrived, they found Karen dead from multiple stab wounds.
Dusty was convicted of first-degree murder, attempted murder, aggravated assault, and aggravated battery, initially sentenced to death in 1992. However, the Florida Supreme Court mandated a new sentencing in 1994, citing issues with the trial court’s assessment of crucial factors. He was resentenced to death the following year.
Recently, Dusty’s lawyers contended that his health problems, including liver disease, could lead to inhumane suffering during execution, pleading for clemency. Nevertheless, the Supreme Court dismissed these appeals.
If executed, Dusty will become the oldest individual executed in modern Florida history; another 74-year-old, Dennis Sochor, awaits execution for kidnapping and murder on July 14.
The other eight individuals executed in Florida this year include:
- Ronald Heath, 64, executed February 10. He lured a man into a wooded area for a fatal robbery while on parole for a previous murder.
- Melvin Trotter, 65, executed February 24. He killed a shopkeeper during a robbery while on house arrest.
- Billy L. Kearse, 53, executed March 3. He confessed to killing a police officer during a traffic stop.
- Michael L. King, 54, executed March 17. He was convicted of kidnapping, raping, and murdering a young mother.
- Chadwick Willacy, 58, executed April 21. He set his neighbor on fire during a burglary.
- James E. Hitchcock, 70, executed April 30. He was sentenced for the rape and murder of his step-niece.
- Richard Knight, 47, executed May 21. He stabbed a woman and her young child.
- Andrew Lukehart, 53, executed June 2. He was convicted for the death of a 5-month-old baby.
