DeSantis Splits from Catholic Leaders, Allows Execution of Florida Man

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) rejected the Catholic Church's plea to block the execution of Dusty Ray Spencer.

The Details: Spencer, 74, died on Thursday via lethal injection at Florida State Prison in Raiford. Mainstream media coverage focused on his age, as Spencer became the oldest executed inmate in Florida's recorded history (since 1924); but many religious outlets instead highlighted the moral concerns surrounding the capital punishment process.

The Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops unsuccessfully urged DeSantis to both "uphold justice" and "exercise mercy" by commuting Spencer's sentence to life without parole. "Mr. Spencer's crime was truly heinous and merits a severe punishment by the state," the group stated in a June 18th letter. "Nevertheless, we ask that you spare the life of Mr. Spencer, who was sexually abused as a child by his father and had a paranoid personality disorder."

DeSantis, who identifies as Catholic, authorized the death warrant a month prior on May 26th. Spencer said, upon his execution, "Sorry, sorry to the family. Into thy hands I commit my spirit and my soul. I'm on my way, Lord. I'm on my way. Amen."

For Context: Spencer choked and threatened to kill his wife Karen in December 1991, prompting an arrest and jail time. He reportedly again threatened her life while in jail, then beat and stabbed her to death while out on bail in January 1992. He also beat and threatened his teenage stepson who tried to intervene.

The state convicted Spencer of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, aggravated assault and aggravated battery, sentencing him to death. The Florida Supreme Court reduced his sentence in 1994 due to misconduct in court, but it was reimposed in 1995. The state and federal supreme courts rejected his appeals.

Florida's History: Desantis allowed a record 19 executions in Florida in 2025 (since capital punishment reinstatement via Gregg v. Georgia in 1976), and Spencer's marks the ninth in 2026 so far. Florida maintains the highest execution rate in the US, according to World Population Review. The state is set to execute 74-year-old Dennis Sochor on July 14th. 

What Does The Church Say? The Bible does not endorse the death penalty. Ancient Israeli law allowed it for cases such as murder and adultery, but the New Testament emphasizes the themes of forgiveness and mercy. The Catechism of the Catholic Church asserts, "The dignity of the person is not lost even after the commission of very serious crimes… the death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person."

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