by STARKE, Fla. — Florida marked a grim milestone on Tuesday evening as the state carried out its 14th execution of the year, the most in a single year since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976. The man executed, 72-year-old Samuel Lee Smithers, had been convicted of murdering two women in 1996 and dumping their bodies in a rural pond near Tampa.
Smithers was pronounced dead at 6:15 p.m. following a lethal injection at Florida State Prison in Starke. He was convicted in 1999 on two counts of first-degree murder and had spent more than two decades on death row.
Execution at Florida State Prison
According to witnesses, the curtain to the death chamber was raised promptly at the scheduled 6 p.m. execution time, revealing Smithers strapped to a gurney with an IV already inserted. When asked by the warden if he wished to make a final statement, he responded simply, “No, sir.”
The lethal injection process began moments later. Smithers’ breathing reportedly became heavy, followed by brief convulsions before all movement ceased. At 6:14 p.m., a medic entered the chamber, checked his vital signs, and pronounced him dead one minute later.
Ted Veerman, spokesperson for the Florida Department of Corrections, confirmed that the execution proceeded without incident.
Florida’s Record-Breaking Year for Executions
The execution of Smithers marks Florida’s 14th in 2025, breaking its previous annual record of eight in 2014. The state has conducted more executions than any other in the U.S. this year, surpassing Texas, which has carried out five.
Under Governor Ron DeSantis, Florida has accelerated its use of capital punishment, with two additional executions already scheduled for later this month and November.
Since the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976, Florida has executed over 100 inmates. However, 2025 now stands as the deadliest year for executions in the state’s modern history.
Background of the 1996 Double Murder
Court records reveal that Smithers, who worked as a landscaper and served as a Baptist church deacon, met his victims — Christy Cowan and Denise Roach — on separate occasions in May 1996 at a Tampa motel. Both women were reportedly sex workers whom Smithers paid for their services.
At the time, Smithers was maintaining a 27-acre property in Plant City that included several ponds. On May 28, 1996, the property owner stopped by and found him cleaning an ax in the carport. Smithers claimed he had been trimming trees, but the owner noticed a pool of blood nearby.
The property owner alerted law enforcement, and a deputy who later inspected the area found drag marks leading toward one of the ponds. Upon searching the water, authorities discovered the bodies of Cowan and Roach, both of whom had been beaten, strangled, and submerged.
Smithers was arrested shortly thereafter and charged with double homicide.
Legal Challenges and Final Appeals
Smithers’ legal team filed a final appeal with the Florida Supreme Court earlier this month, arguing that his advanced age should exempt him from execution under the Eighth Amendment, which prohibits cruel and unusual punishment.
The justices rejected that argument, ruling that age alone does not provide constitutional protection from the death penalty. On the same day, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to intervene, clearing the way for Tuesday’s execution.
Smithers became one of the oldest inmates ever executed in Florida, though the court reaffirmed that elderly individuals are not categorically excluded from capital punishment.
Two More Executions Scheduled in Coming Weeks
The state’s execution calendar continues to fill. Norman Mearle Grim Jr., 65, is set to be executed on October 28 for the 1998 rape and murder of his neighbor near Pensacola. Another inmate, Bryan Fredrick Jennings, 66, is scheduled for November 13, convicted of abducting, raping, and killing a 6-year-old girl in 1979.
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According to the Florida Department of Corrections, executions in the state involve a three-drug protocol — a sedative to induce unconsciousness, a paralytic to halt muscle movement, and a final drug that stops the heart.
Nationally, 35 people have been executed so far in 2025, including Smithers.
Broader Debate on Capital Punishment
Smithers’ execution reignites debate over Florida’s aggressive use of the death penalty, especially amid growing scrutiny from human rights advocates and religious organizations. Critics argue that the state’s high number of executions raises questions about ethical standards, deterrence, and judicial fairness.
However, state officials maintain that capital punishment remains a lawful and necessary tool to hold violent offenders accountable.
As Florida prepares for two more executions before year’s end, the state continues to lead the nation in 2025 in the use of lethal injection — a record that underscores both its commitment to justice and the ongoing controversy surrounding the death penalty.
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