TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The State of Florida is scheduled to execute 74-year-old U.S. Marine Corps veteran Lance Corporal Dusty Ray Spencer on Thursday, June 25, at 6 p.m. ET for the 1992 murder of his wife, Karen Spencer, in Orange County.
If carried out, the execution would be Florida’s ninth execution this year, the 10th of a veteran under Governor Ron DeSantis, and the 37th total under Gov. DeSantis. Dusty Spencer would also become the oldest person ever executed in the State of Florida.
Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (FADP) and thousands of citizens are calling for a stay of execution and for Spencer’s sentence to be commuted to life without the possibility of parole.
FADP is mobilizing supporters through a petition and letter-writing campaign urging Gov. DeSantis and the Florida Board of Executive Clemency to halt the execution. If the execution proceeds, FADP staff, members, and supporters from across Florida will gather at a vigil outside the execution chamber at Florida State Prison (23916 NW 83rd Ave., Raiford) beginning at 5 p.m. ET on June 25. Rev. Dr. Jeff Hood, Mr. Spencer’s spiritual advisor, is expected to address vigil attendees after exiting the prison following the execution. Additional vigils will take place throughout the state.
“The murder of Karen Spencer was a horrific act of domestic violence that forever changed the lives of those who loved her. As we remember Karen, we should also recognize that executions do nothing to address the root causes of domestic violence or prevent future tragedies,” said Grace Hanna, Executive Director of FADP. “Our energy and resources should be focused on protecting survivors, strengthening prevention efforts, and ensuring that fewer families experience the kind of loss Karen’s family endured.”
Current Legal Posture
On Monday, June 22, Mr. Spencer’s attorneys filed a petition for writ of certiorari asking the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene in his case. They argue that Florida’s lethal injection process is cruel and unusual punishment when applied to a 74-year-old man suffering from significant medical conditions, including cirrhosis of the liver and portal hypertension. They also point to records obtained in recent litigation suggesting that the Florida Department of Corrections has not followed its own execution protocol, resulting in an increased risk of complications. This filing comes on the heels of appeals in the circuit court and the Florida Supreme Court.
Nearly Half of Dusty Spencer’s Jury Voted for Life
When Dusty Spencer was sentenced to death more than three decades ago, five jurors voted for life imprisonment rather than execution. The jury’s recommendation for death was only 7–5.
Today, even under Florida’s exceptionally low standard for imposing a death sentence, that vote would not be enough. Florida now requires at least eight jurors to recommend death before a death sentence can be imposed. In every death penalty state in the country, a jury as divided as Spencer’s would result in a life sentence.
A Veteran Who Has Spent More Than Three Decades on Death Row
Dusty Spencer served honorably in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Vietnam War-era and participated in search-and-rescue missions during his military service. The sentencing court recognized his “heroic” military service as mitigating, and multiple courts reviewing his case have agreed.
Hanna stated, “Dusty Spencer is an elderly, seriously ill veteran who poses no threat to society. Executing a 74-year-old man who has shown that he can be safely housed in prison for the rest of his life serves absolutely no public safety purpose,”
Legal Sources
Orange County Circuit Court: 481992CF000473000AOX
Florida Supreme Court: SC2026-0880
U.S. Supreme Court: SC2026-0880
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