Florida executes 74-year-old, oldest inmate in history

Florida executed 74-year-old Dennis Sochor on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, making him the oldest inmate put to death in the state's modern history. The lethal injection was carried out at Florida State Prison near Starke and was the state's tenth execution this year, a total that exceeds the combined number of executions in all other U.S. states.

Sochor was pronounced dead at 6:16 p.m. In his final statement, he apologized several times to the family of his victim, 18-year-old Patricia Gifford, stating he was deeply sorry for his actions. He also thanked his own loved ones and commended his spirit to Jesus Christ.

The execution marks the second in a series involving older inmates scheduled within a single month. Another 74-year-old inmate, Dusty Ray Spencer, was executed on June 25. Later this month, the state is scheduled to execute an 80-year-old prisoner, who would be Florida's first octogenarian put to death. The consecutive scheduling has drawn attention to the aging population on death row and the governor's sole discretion in setting execution dates in Florida.

Sochor was convicted of first-degree murder and kidnapping in 1987 for the killing of Patricia Gifford on January 1,...