Topline: A new Florida law named for a 5-year-old girl killed while her stepfather was free on bond is now in effect, changing what happens after violent offenders are convicted but not yet sentenced.
Published: July 3, 2026 7:00 am ET
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Missy Mogle (Family handout)
TALLAHASSEE, FL — More than 100 new state laws took effect in Florida this week, including “Missy’s Law,” a measure aimed at preventing judges from allowing dangerous defendants to remain free after a guilty verdict in serious cases.
According to WFLA, the law was named for 5-year-old Missy Mogle. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier had proposed the measure after saying Missy’s stepfather, Daniel Spencer, remained out on bond even after a jury found him guilty in a separate case involving traveling to meet a minor.
An attorney general news release said Spencer had been arrested in February 2024 for traveling to meet a person he believed was a 15-year-old minor and was also under active investigation for sexually abusing Missy. In April 2025, a jury found Spencer guilty in that case, which classified him as a sexual offender under Florida law.
State officials said a judge did not revoke Spencer’s bond after the guilty verdict, allowing him to return to the community and to the house where Missy lived. Prosecutors say Missy was brutally murdered on May 19, 2025, while Spencer was still free pending sentencing. Authorities have described evidence that allegedly included photos of the child bound at the feet and ankles, a pillow over her face, and videos showing hours of physical abuse.
Missy’s Law requires judges to revoke bond after conviction in qualifying dangerous-crime cases, removing the kind of discretion state officials say allowed Spencer to remain free. The law is intended to close that gap before sentencing in cases involving violent offenders, sexual offenders and sexual predators.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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5-Year-Old’s Murder Inspired Florida’s New ‘Missy’s Law’ Requiring Convicted Offenders to Be Jailed
A new Florida law named for a 5-year-old girl killed while her stepfather was free on bond is now in effect, changing what happens after violent offenders are convicted but not yet sentenced.
By Silvia Torres
Published: July 3, 2026 7:00 am ET
Missy Mogle (Family handout)
TALLAHASSEE, FL — More than 100 new state laws took effect in Florida this week, including “Missy’s Law,” a measure aimed at preventing judges from allowing dangerous defendants to remain free after a guilty verdict in serious cases.
According to WFLA, the law was named for 5-year-old Missy Mogle. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier had proposed the measure after saying Missy’s stepfather, Daniel Spencer, remained out on bond even after a jury found him guilty in a separate case involving traveling to meet a minor.
An attorney general news release said Spencer had been arrested in February 2024 for traveling to meet a person he believed was a 15-year-old minor and was also under active investigation for sexually abusing Missy. In April 2025, a jury found Spencer guilty in that case, which classified him as a sexual offender under Florida law.
State officials said a judge did not revoke Spencer’s bond after the guilty verdict, allowing him to return to the community and to the house where Missy lived. Prosecutors say Missy was brutally murdered on May 19, 2025, while Spencer was still free pending sentencing. Authorities have described evidence that allegedly included photos of the child bound at the feet and ankles, a pillow over her face, and videos showing hours of physical abuse.
Missy’s Law requires judges to revoke bond after conviction in qualifying dangerous-crime cases, removing the kind of discretion state officials say allowed Spencer to remain free. The law is intended to close that gap before sentencing in cases involving violent offenders, sexual offenders and sexual predators.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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Editor Picks
Latest Articles
5-Year-Old’s Murder Inspired Florida’s New ‘Missy’s Law’ Requiring Convicted Offenders to Be Jailed
A new Florida law named for a 5-year-old girl killed while her stepfather was free on bond is now in effect, changing what happens after violent offenders are convicted but not yet sentenced.
By Silvia Torres
Published: July 3, 2026 7:00 am ET
Missy Mogle (Family handout)
TALLAHASSEE, FL — More than 100 new state laws took effect in Florida this week, including “Missy’s Law,” a measure aimed at preventing judges from allowing dangerous defendants to remain free after a guilty verdict in serious cases.
According to WFLA, the law was named for 5-year-old Missy Mogle. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier had proposed the measure after saying Missy’s stepfather, Daniel Spencer, remained out on bond even after a jury found him guilty in a separate case involving traveling to meet a minor.
An attorney general news release said Spencer had been arrested in February 2024 for traveling to meet a person he believed was a 15-year-old minor and was also under active investigation for sexually abusing Missy. In April 2025, a jury found Spencer guilty in that case, which classified him as a sexual offender under Florida law.
State officials said a judge did not revoke Spencer’s bond after the guilty verdict, allowing him to return to the community and to the house where Missy lived. Prosecutors say Missy was brutally murdered on May 19, 2025, while Spencer was still free pending sentencing. Authorities have described evidence that allegedly included photos of the child bound at the feet and ankles, a pillow over her face, and videos showing hours of physical abuse.
Missy’s Law requires judges to revoke bond after conviction in qualifying dangerous-crime cases, removing the kind of discretion state officials say allowed Spencer to remain free. The law is intended to close that gap before sentencing in cases involving violent offenders, sexual offenders and sexual predators.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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