Key facts
- Dusty Ray Spencer, 74, is scheduled for execution on Thursday evening.
- He was convicted of the 1992 stabbing death of his wife, Karen Spencer.
- This would be Florida's ninth execution of the year.
- Spencer's attorneys argued his health issues and age constitute cruel and unusual punishment.
- A final appeal was pending before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Dusty Ray Spencer, 74, is scheduled to be executed Thursday evening in Florida for the 1992 stabbing death of his wife, Karen. If the execution proceeds, it will mark Florida's ninth execution this year. Governor Ron DeSantis has overseen a significant increase in executions, with a record 19 in 2025.
Court records indicate Spencer was arrested in December 1991 after threatening to kill his wife. The following month, he attacked his wife, Karen, while her teenage son attempted to intervene. The son was beaten with a clothes iron, and later found his mother being struck with a brick. The son's attempt to intervene with a rifle misfired, and Spencer threatened him with a knife before fleeing to get help. Police discovered Karen Spencer deceased with multiple stab wounds.
Spencer was initially sentenced to death in 1992 for first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, aggravated assault, and aggravated battery. A new sentencing was ordered in 1994 by the Florida Supreme Court due to mishandling of aggravating and mitigating circumstances. He was resentenced to death in 1995, and subsequent appeals have been denied. His attorneys recently argued that his advanced age and health issues, including liver disease, would make the execution a cruel and unusual punishment. A final appeal was pending before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Florida leads the nation in executions in 2025, with Alabama, South Carolina, and Texas tied for second place. Another execution, that of Dennis Sochor, 74, is scheduled for July 14.