Key facts
- Florida executed 74-year-old Dusty Ray Spencer on June 25, its oldest modern execution.
- Dominick Anthony Occhicone, 80, is scheduled for execution on July 28, potentially becoming the second oldest person executed in the U.S.
- The state has three inmates older than Occhicone on death row.
- Governor Ron DeSantis has overseen a record number of executions.
- Lengthy appeals and mandatory reviews contribute to inmates spending decades on death row, often developing age-related medical conditions.
Florida is proceeding with the executions of elderly death row inmates, raising questions about the ethics and humanity of capital punishment for individuals who may soon die from natural causes. Dusty Ray Spencer, 74, was executed on June 25, marking the oldest execution in Florida's modern history. Two more inmates are scheduled for execution by the end of July, including Dominick Anthony Occhicone, 80, who would be the second oldest person executed in the U.S. if the sentence is carried out.
For some, like Catholic priest Dustin Feddon, executing frail and elderly individuals is considered cruel and unusual punishment, questioning if the state is intentionally preventing natural deaths from offering escape. Conversely, victims' families, such as Marilyn Gifford, view these executions as long-delayed justice. Gifford expressed happiness that the execution of her sister's killer, Dennis Sochor, is happening within her lifetime.
Occhicone, sentenced for the murders of his ex-girlfriend's parents in 1986, has spent nearly four decades on death row and suffers from age-related ailments. His attorneys argue he needs assistance with daily activities. Legal precedent from the Supreme Court prohibits executing individuals who were under 18 at the time of their crimes, but advanced age alone is not a legal basis to avoid execution. Attorneys must argue mental deficiency or that medical conditions would cause undue pain during lethal injection, as seen in cases where inmates with dementia or cancer have avoided execution.
Governor Ron DeSantis has prioritized executions, stating his goal is to deliver justice to victims' families who have waited decades. His office has not commented on the scheduling of these consecutive executions. The average age of executed inmates in the U.S. has risen significantly over the past half-century, attributed to lengthy appeals and mandatory reviews.