Key facts
- Dennis Sochor, 74, was executed by lethal injection in Florida on Tuesday.
- Sochor was convicted of the 1982 murder of Patricia Gifford.
- He apologized to the victim's family and thanked his own supporters before his death.
- Sochor was pronounced dead at 6:16 pm local time.
- The US Supreme Court rejected Sochor's final appeal without comment.
- Florida has conducted 10 executions this year, the most in the nation.
Florida executed Dennis Sochor, 74, on Tuesday, marking the state's tenth lethal injection this year and highlighting the aging population on death row. Sochor was convicted of murdering 18-year-old Patricia Gifford in 1982, hours after they met at a New Year's Eve party. He was pronounced dead at 6:16 pm after receiving a three-drug lethal injection.
During his execution, Sochor apologized multiple times to the Gifford family and thanked his own loved ones. He commended his spirit to Jesus Christ shortly before the drugs began to flow. Following his death, Patricia Gifford's sister, Marilyn Gifford, stated that while the execution brought some closure, it was bittersweet as her sister's remains have never been found. She noted that Sochor lived more than twice as long as her sister.
According to court records, Gifford left a bar with Sochor and his brother, intending to have breakfast, but Sochor drove them to a secluded area and attacked her. Investigators stated Sochor confessed to choking Gifford and disposing of her body. He was convicted of first-degree murder and kidnapping in 1987 and sentenced to death. The US Supreme Court rejected Sochor's final appeal on Tuesday without comment.
Florida's execution schedule has been particularly busy, with Sochor being the second 74-year-old executed this year, following Dusty Ray Spencer last month. The state is also preparing to execute an 80-year-old inmate, Dominick Anthony Occhicone, later this month, which would make him one of the oldest prisoners executed in modern US history.