Dusty Ray Spencer
Dusty Ray Spencer, 74, was put to death by lethal injection at Florida State Prison near Starke on June 25, 2026, and the state Department of Corrections said he was pronounced dead at 6:10 p.m. Opponents of the death penalty said he had survived sexual abuse by his father, overcome substance addictions, and changed for the better while on death row. His spiritual adviser, Jeff Hood, criticized the execution given his age and health. His attorneys argued that his age and health problems, including liver disease, made the execution cruel and unusual, but the Florida Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court rejected those requests, and the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops had asked the governor for clemency. In his last words, he apologized to his family and said he was on his way to the Lord.
Cause of death, as reported: Executed by the state. His attorneys argued that his age and health problems, including liver disease, made the execution cruel and unusual, but the state and U.S. Supreme Courts rejected those appeals.
Reported by: Florida Department of Corrections (the agency that held him); his attorneys.