Death penalty opponents, friends argue against upcoming execution for Florida man convicted of murdering his wife

Opponents of the death penalty and friends of Dusty Ray Spencer argued Thursday against his pending execution by lethal injection next week for murdering his wife 34 years ago in Orange County.

Spencer, 74, would become the oldest person put to death in Florida since the reinstatement of the death penalty in 1976, and the ninth man executed in Florida this year. 

According to court records, Spencer had a violent history with his wife, Karen, before stabbing her to death in the backyard of their home in January 1992. 

In a conference call Thursday, Jeff Hood, Spencer's spiritual advisor, described the state's pending action as a "nursing home execution."

"The fact that Dusty Ray Spencer is being executed at his age, in his health, says everything we need to know about how haywire this entire system has gone," Hood said.

In seeking to "humanize" Spencer beyond the headlines and mug shots, retired cardiologist Felix Rogers described his friend of 30-years as a survivor of sexual abuse by his father who has overcome substance addictions. While not excusing his crime, Rogers contends Spencer has changed while on Death Row.

"I think if he is to be executed, our own humanity for each one of us will be diminished just a little bit," Rogers said. "Because it means we're admitting we're part of a society that would kill somebody, that would execute a person, despite their many changes. He's not the same person who killed Karen Spencer in 1992."  

Attorney General James Uthmeier recently defended the state's increased use of the death penalty. 

"We all take an oath to enforce the law. The people that are being executed have committed some of the most heinous crimes, unspeakable things, many things to women and children," Uthmeier said while in Brooksville on May 19.

In addition to Spencer's pending execution, Dennis Sochor is scheduled to be put to death on July 14 for the death of an 18-year-old woman he met at a New Year's celebration in a Broward County bar 44 years ago.

Sochor is 12 days younger than Spencer, with the executions scheduled 19 days apart.

Florida executed 19 men last year, a modern record for the state.