{"id":6897,"date":"2026-06-26T00:30:24","date_gmt":"2026-06-26T00:30:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/man-who-stabbed-his-wife-to-death-in-front-of-son-becomes-oldest-person-to-be-executed-in-florida\/"},"modified":"2026-06-26T00:30:24","modified_gmt":"2026-06-26T00:30:24","slug":"man-who-stabbed-his-wife-to-death-in-front-of-son-becomes-oldest-person-to-be-executed-in-florida","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/man-who-stabbed-his-wife-to-death-in-front-of-son-becomes-oldest-person-to-be-executed-in-florida\/","title":{"rendered":"Man who stabbed his wife to death in front of son becomes oldest person to be executed in Florida"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"article-body\">\n<h2 class=\"LeadText_lead-text__wd_PA __className_740a06\" data-testid=\"leadtext\">Dusty Ray Spencer has been executed after he was convicted of stabbing his wife to death and beating his wife\u2019s teenage son with a clothes iron when the boy tried to stop the attack on his mum<\/h2>\n<p><button type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX ImageEmbed_image-lead__Ti3qQ\" data-testid=\"leadimage\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"37350225\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Dusty Ray Spencer has been executed after he was convicted of stabbing his wife to death\" loading=\"eager\" sizes=\"(max-width: 508px) 508px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37350225.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200f\/2_SDC_MDG_-_26920JPG.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37350225.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s508\/2_SDC_MDG_-_26920JPG.jpg 508w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37350225.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615\/2_SDC_MDG_-_26920JPG.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37350225.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200f\/2_SDC_MDG_-_26920JPG.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"Dusty Ray Spencer has been executed after he was convicted of stabbing his wife to death\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Dusty Ray Spencer has been executed after he was convicted of stabbing his wife to death<cite aria-label=\"Image: Florida Department of Corrections\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-credit__wlx1W\" data-testid=\"caption-credit\">(Image: Florida Department of Corrections)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">A man convicted of fatally stabbing his wife became the oldest person executed in <a target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/lifestyle\/travel\/explore-florida\/\" rel=\"follow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\">Florida&#8217;s<\/a> modern history on Thursday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Dusty Ray Spencer, 74, was pronounced dead at 6:10 p.m. following a three-drug injection at Florida State Prison near Starke. Spencer was convicted of the 1992 <a target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/knife-crime\" rel=\"follow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\">stabbing<\/a> death of his wife Karen.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The curtain to the death chamber went up promptly at the 6 p.m. execution time and the warden asked Spencer if he had any statement as he lay strapped to a metal table with an IV inserted in his arm.<\/p>\n<div data-testid=\"image-group\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX false\" data-testid=\"imageembed-37350224\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"37350224\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"image\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"All Florida executions are carried out by the lethal injection of a sedative, a paralytic and a drug that stops the heart, according to the Department of Corrections.\" loading=\"lazy\" sizes=\"(max-width: 458px) 458px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37350224.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_Double-murderer-Mark-Asay-to-be-executed.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37350224.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s458b\/0_Double-murderer-Mark-Asay-to-be-executed.jpg 458w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37350224.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615b\/0_Double-murderer-Mark-Asay-to-be-executed.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37350224.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_Double-murderer-Mark-Asay-to-be-executed.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"All Florida executions are carried out by the lethal injection of a sedative, a paralytic and a drug that stops the heart, according to the Department of Corrections.\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">All Florida executions are carried out by the lethal injection of a sedative, a paralytic and a drug that stops the heart, according to the Department of Corrections.<cite aria-label=\"Image: Florida Department of Corrections\/Doug Smith\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-credit__wlx1W\" data-testid=\"caption-credit\">(Image: Florida Department of Corrections\/Doug Smith)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/div>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">\u201cSorry, sorry to the family. Into thy hands I commit my spirit and my soul. I\u2019m on my way, Lord. I\u2019m on my way. Amen,&#8221; Spencer said, a spiritual adviser nearby at the foot of the table.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Immediately after his words, the lethal drugs began flowing and, after a few minutes of labored breathing, Spencer ceased all movements.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The warden then shook Spencer and shouted his name several times, but there was no response. Several more minutes elapsed before a medic was called in to check Spencer\u2019s vital signs, and the inmate was declared dead.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Alex Lanfranconi, in the office of Gov. Ron DeSantis, told The Associated Press in a text message that there were no complications. He had no immediate response to further phone and text messages seeking comment about the ages of the inmate executed Thursday and the next facing execution.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The family of the victim released no statement.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Florida Department of Correction records dating to 1924 show the oldest inmates previously executed by the state were both 72 \u2014 <a target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"Samuel Lee SmithersLink opens in a new tab.\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/florida-record-execution-smithers-desantis-7d313e12964a529ae3e4e5c63d4ba813\" rel=\"nofollow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_blank\">Samuel Lee Smithers<\/a> on Oct. 14, 2025, for the 1996 killings of two women; and R. Charlie Gifford on Feb. 21, 1951, for the 1950 shooting death of a state lawmaker, Charles Schuh Jr.<\/p>\n<div data-testid=\"image-group\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX false\" data-testid=\"imageembed-37350226\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"37350226\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"image\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Thursday's execution was the ninth in Florida this year after a record 19 executions in 2025.\u00a0&#10;&#10;\" loading=\"lazy\" sizes=\"(max-width: 458px) 458px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37350226.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_Florida-Execution-25270738316328.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37350226.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s458b\/0_Florida-Execution-25270738316328.jpg 458w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37350226.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615b\/0_Florida-Execution-25270738316328.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37350226.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_Florida-Execution-25270738316328.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"Thursday's execution was the ninth in Florida this year after a record 19 executions in 2025.\u00a0&#10;&#10;\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Thursday&#8217;s execution was the ninth in Florida this year after a record 19 executions in 2025.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><cite aria-label=\"Image: AP\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-credit__wlx1W\" data-testid=\"caption-credit\">(Image: AP)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/div>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Another 74-year-old Florida inmate, Dennis Sochor, is scheduled to be executed on July 14. Socor was convicted of killing a woman just hours into 1982 after meeting her at a <a target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/new-year\" rel=\"follow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">New Year<\/a>\u2019s Eve party.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Nationwide, the oldest person ever executed in modern times was <a target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"Walter Leroy Moody Jr.Link opens in a new tab.\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/general-news-857f53d19f8e4443bd3863e0b89f0257\" rel=\"nofollow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_blank\">Walter Leroy Moody Jr.<\/a>, 83, who was put to death in Alabama in 2018 for sending mail bombs during a wave of Southern terror, killing a federal judge and a Black civil rights attorney.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Court records show Spencer was arrested after choking and threatening to kill Karen Spencer in December 1991. While in jail, Dusty Ray Spencer called his wife and warned her that when he got out, he was going to finish what he had started.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">On Jan. 18, 1992, Spencer beat his wife\u2019s teenage son with a clothes iron when the boy tried to stop Spencer from attacking his mother, officials said. Then about a week later, the son responded to a commotion outside their home and found Spencer hitting his mother in the head with a brick, according to officials.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Court records show the teen tried to shoot Spencer with a rifle, but the gun misfired. Spencer threatened the teen with a knife, and the boy ran away to get help. When police arrived, they found Karen Spencer dead with several stab wounds to the chest.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Spencer was initially sentenced to death in 1992 after being convicted of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, aggravated assault and aggravated battery. In 1994, the Florida Supreme Court ordered his new sentencing after finding that the trial court had mishandled evaluating aggravating and mitigating circumstances. Spencer was resentenced to death the next year, and subsequent appeals were denied.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Last week, the state Supreme Court rejected Spencer\u2019s appeals. His attorneys had argued that he had health issues such as liver disease that posed a heightened risk of pain and suffering. They also argued that executing him at his advanced age would constitute cruel and unusual punishment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The U.S. Supreme Court rejected a final appeal earlier Thursday without comment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/news\/us-news\/oldest-man-executed-in-florida-37350219\" target=\"_blank\">Source link<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dusty Ray Spencer has been executed after he was convicted of stabbing his wife to<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6898,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6897","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-crime"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/2_SDC_MDG_-_26920JPG.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6897","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6897"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6897\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6898"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6897"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6897"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6897"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}