Topline: Florida officials have scheduled a June execution for a 74-year-old Death Row inmate convicted of stabbing, beating and terrorizing his wife in front of her teenage son more than three decades ago.
Published: May 28, 2026 12:30 pm ET
Shawn Fletcher
Committed to the craft of journalism and am driven by my desire to inform and inspire.
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TALLAHASSEE, FL — Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed a death warrant for Dusty Ray Spencer, setting his execution by lethal injection for June 25 at Florida State Prison in Starke.
The warrant gives the state a one-week window to carry out the sentence, from noon on June 25 through noon on July 2. Spencer, now 74, has spent more than 30 years on Death Row for the January 1992 killing of his wife, Karen Spencer, in Orange County.
Court records show Spencer had a documented history of violence against his wife before the killing. A little more than a month before her death, records say he choked her, hit her and threatened to kill her after accusing her of taking money from a bank account connected to their painting business. He was jailed, but Karen Spencer later asked that he be allowed to spend the holidays at home.
On Jan. 4, 1992, Karen Spencer’s teenage son intervened after waking up to find Spencer hitting her with a clothes iron. Less than two weeks later, the teen found his mother in the backyard being struck with a brick. He grabbed a rifle from her bedroom, but it misfired. Authorities said Spencer then threatened the teenager with a knife while Karen Spencer begged for the attack to stop.
In a report from News4JAX, court records state Karen Spencer was dead when police arrived. Records said she had been stabbed several times in the chest, suffered cuts to her face and arms, and sustained blunt force trauma to the back of her head.
Spencer was convicted of first-degree murder along with aggravated assault, attempted first-degree murder and aggravated battery. He was first sentenced to death in December 1992 and resentenced to death in January 1995.
In the resentencing order, Circuit Judge Belvin Perry wrote that Karen Spencer had been alive and conscious throughout the beating and described the killing as especially cruel. Spencer’s warrant is the tenth death warrant DeSantis has signed in 2026.
The execution would come after Florida carried out the execution of Richard Knight last week. The state’s next scheduled execution before Spencer’s is Andrew Lukehart on June 2 in the 1996 killing of five-month-old Gabrielle Hanshaw in Duval County.
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.
If you are experiencing domestic abuse, you are not alone. Help is available. Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 or text "START" to 88788 to connect with trained advocates 24/7. Support is free, confidential, and available in over 200 languages. You can also visit thehotline.org for more information and resources.
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DeSantis Signs Death Warrant for Florida Inmate Convicted of Brutal 1992 Wife Killing
Florida officials have scheduled a June execution for a 74-year-old Death Row inmate convicted of stabbing, beating and terrorizing his wife in front of her teenage son more than three decades ago.
By Shawn Fletcher
Published: May 28, 2026 12:30 pm ET
TALLAHASSEE, FL — Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed a death warrant for Dusty Ray Spencer, setting his execution by lethal injection for June 25 at Florida State Prison in Starke.
The warrant gives the state a one-week window to carry out the sentence, from noon on June 25 through noon on July 2. Spencer, now 74, has spent more than 30 years on Death Row for the January 1992 killing of his wife, Karen Spencer, in Orange County.
Court records show Spencer had a documented history of violence against his wife before the killing. A little more than a month before her death, records say he choked her, hit her and threatened to kill her after accusing her of taking money from a bank account connected to their painting business. He was jailed, but Karen Spencer later asked that he be allowed to spend the holidays at home.
On Jan. 4, 1992, Karen Spencer’s teenage son intervened after waking up to find Spencer hitting her with a clothes iron. Less than two weeks later, the teen found his mother in the backyard being struck with a brick. He grabbed a rifle from her bedroom, but it misfired. Authorities said Spencer then threatened the teenager with a knife while Karen Spencer begged for the attack to stop.
In a report from News4JAX, court records state Karen Spencer was dead when police arrived. Records said she had been stabbed several times in the chest, suffered cuts to her face and arms, and sustained blunt force trauma to the back of her head.
Spencer was convicted of first-degree murder along with aggravated assault, attempted first-degree murder and aggravated battery. He was first sentenced to death in December 1992 and resentenced to death in January 1995.
In the resentencing order, Circuit Judge Belvin Perry wrote that Karen Spencer had been alive and conscious throughout the beating and described the killing as especially cruel. Spencer’s warrant is the tenth death warrant DeSantis has signed in 2026.
The execution would come after Florida carried out the execution of Richard Knight last week. The state’s next scheduled execution before Spencer’s is Andrew Lukehart on June 2 in the 1996 killing of five-month-old Gabrielle Hanshaw in Duval County.
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.
If you are experiencing domestic abuse, you are not alone. Help is available. Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 or text "START" to 88788 to connect with trained advocates 24/7. Support is free, confidential, and available in over 200 languages. You can also visit thehotline.org for more information and resources.
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DeSantis Signs Death Warrant for Florida Inmate Convicted of Brutal 1992 Wife Killing
Florida officials have scheduled a June execution for a 74-year-old Death Row inmate convicted of stabbing, beating and terrorizing his wife in front of her teenage son more than three decades ago.
By Shawn Fletcher
Published: May 28, 2026 12:30 pm ET
TALLAHASSEE, FL — Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed a death warrant for Dusty Ray Spencer, setting his execution by lethal injection for June 25 at Florida State Prison in Starke.
The warrant gives the state a one-week window to carry out the sentence, from noon on June 25 through noon on July 2. Spencer, now 74, has spent more than 30 years on Death Row for the January 1992 killing of his wife, Karen Spencer, in Orange County.
Court records show Spencer had a documented history of violence against his wife before the killing. A little more than a month before her death, records say he choked her, hit her and threatened to kill her after accusing her of taking money from a bank account connected to their painting business. He was jailed, but Karen Spencer later asked that he be allowed to spend the holidays at home.
On Jan. 4, 1992, Karen Spencer’s teenage son intervened after waking up to find Spencer hitting her with a clothes iron. Less than two weeks later, the teen found his mother in the backyard being struck with a brick. He grabbed a rifle from her bedroom, but it misfired. Authorities said Spencer then threatened the teenager with a knife while Karen Spencer begged for the attack to stop.
In a report from News4JAX, court records state Karen Spencer was dead when police arrived. Records said she had been stabbed several times in the chest, suffered cuts to her face and arms, and sustained blunt force trauma to the back of her head.
Spencer was convicted of first-degree murder along with aggravated assault, attempted first-degree murder and aggravated battery. He was first sentenced to death in December 1992 and resentenced to death in January 1995.
In the resentencing order, Circuit Judge Belvin Perry wrote that Karen Spencer had been alive and conscious throughout the beating and described the killing as especially cruel. Spencer’s warrant is the tenth death warrant DeSantis has signed in 2026.
The execution would come after Florida carried out the execution of Richard Knight last week. The state’s next scheduled execution before Spencer’s is Andrew Lukehart on June 2 in the 1996 killing of five-month-old Gabrielle Hanshaw in Duval County.
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.
If you are experiencing domestic abuse, you are not alone. Help is available. Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 or text "START" to 88788 to connect with trained advocates 24/7. Support is free, confidential, and available in over 200 languages. You can also visit thehotline.org for more information and resources.
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