Florida to execute man who killed his wife in 1992 on Thursday
Source: Associated Press via Fox 13
Florida to execute man who killed his wife in 1992 on Thursday
By Nancy Gay
Associated Press
Florida
Published June 25, 2026 9:49 AM EDT
Dusty Ray Spencer is scheduled to be executed in Florida on Thursday night for the 1992 murder of his wife. Image is courtesy of the Florida Department of Corrections.
The Brief
* Dusty Ray Spencer is scheduled to face execution on Thursday at Florida State Prison for the 1992 stabbing death of his wife.
* Spencer’s attorneys filed appeals citing advanced age and liver disease, while a final appeal remains pending before the U.S. Supreme Court.
* This marks the state's ninth execution this year, following a record-setting number of executions overseen by Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2025.
STARKE, Fla. - A 74-year-old man convicted of fatally stabbing his wife decades ago is scheduled to be executed Thursday evening at Florida State Prison.
Florida execution schedule
What we know: Dusty Ray Spencer, 74, is scheduled to receive a three-drug lethal injection starting at 6 p.m. Thursday. He was convicted of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, aggravated assault and aggravated battery for the 1992 death of his wife, Karen Spencer.
Court records show Spencer was arrested in December 1991 after choking and threatening to kill his wife. On Jan. 18, 1992, he beat his wife’s teenage son with a clothes iron when the boy tried to stop an attack. About a week later, the teen found Spencer hitting his mother with a brick outside their home. The boy ran away to get help after his rifle misfired and Spencer threatened him with a knife. When police arrived, they found Karen Spencer dead with multiple chest stab wounds.
Spencer legal history
The backstory: Spencer was initially sentenced to death in 1992, but the Florida Supreme Court ordered a new sentencing in 1994 after finding the trial court mishandled evaluating aggravating and mitigating circumstances. He was resentenced to death the next year, and subsequent appeals have been denied.
The state Supreme Court rejected Spencer's appeals last week. His defense attorneys argued that his advanced age and health issues, including liver disease, present a heightened risk of pain and suffering that would constitute cruel and unusual punishment.
Supreme Court review
What we don't know: Officials have not yet announced whether the U.S. Supreme Court will grant a stay of execution, as a final appeal remains pending before the high court.
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Read more: https://www.fox13news.com/news/florida-execute-man-who-killed-his-wife-1992-thursday
We do know how that turned out.
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Chris Geidner
@chrisgeidner.bsky.social
NEW: The Supreme Court will not stop Florida from killing Dusty Spencer today. There were no noted dissents.
If the state proceeds with the scheduled execution, it would be Florida's ninth execution this year and the 16th in the U.S. in 2026.
(ORDER LIST: 609 U.S.)
THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2026
CERTIORARI DENIED
25-7648 SPENCER, DUSTY R. V. FLORIDA
(25A1427)
The application for stay of execution of sentence of death
presented to Justice Thomas and by him referred to the Court is
denied. The petition for a writ of certiorari is denied.
ALT
1:17 PM · Jun 25, 2026
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NEW: The Supreme Court will not stop Florida from killing Dusty Spencer today. There were no noted dissents.
— Chris Geidner (@chrisgeidner.bsky.social) 2026-06-25T17:17:20.934Z
If the state proceeds with the scheduled execution, it would be Florida's ninth execution this year and the 16th in the U.S. in 2026.
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