US EditionFlorida man who killed 2 women set for lethal injection next month, extending execution record
Smithers, 72, convicted of two 1996 murders in Hillsborough County, is set for lethal injection on Oct. 14, amid Florida's record 11 executions this year, officials said.
- Samuel Lee Smithers, found guilty of killing two women in Hillsborough County in 1996, is set to be executed by lethal injection on October 14 at Florida State Prison.
- Smithers murdered Denise Roach and Christy Cowan after picking them up separately from a motel for paid sex and then attacking them by bludgeoning and strangulation on a remote estate where he was employed as a caretaker.
- Evidence shows Smithers smashed Roach's face, fractured her skull, punctured her brain, strangled her causing a hyoid bone fracture, and placed her body in a pond where both victims were found.
- This year, Florida has carried out 11 executions—the highest number since capital punishment was reinstated in 1976—with Smithers becoming the 14th person scheduled for execution under Governor Ron DeSantis.
- Smithers's execution highlights Florida's accelerated death penalty pace, while attorneys for other scheduled inmates, including David Pittman and Victor Tony Jones, seek to halt their executions with legal appeals.
26 Articles
26 Articles
Florida Man Who Killed 2 Women Set for Execution Next Month
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.—A Florida man convicted of killing two women whose bodies were found in a rural pond in 1996 is scheduled to be put to death in October under a death warrant signed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. Samuel Lee Smithers, 72, is scheduled to die by lethal injection Oct. 14 at Florida State Prison. Smithers would be the 14th person set for execution in Florida in 2025, with DeSantis overseeing more executions in a single year th…
Florida Gov. DeSantis Signs Death Warrant For Samuel Smithers In 1996 Double Murder
DeSantis Authorizes Execution for Vicious 1996 Slayings In a move that could mark Florida’s 14th execution this year, Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed a death warrant for Samuel Smithers, 72. Smithers, who was convicted of murdering two women in 1996 in Hillsborough County, is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection on October 14. Court […] Florida Gov. DeSantis Signs Death Warrant For Samuel Smithers In 1996 Double Murder
Associated Press News
Florida man who killed 2 women set for lethal injection next month, extending execution record
A Florida man convicted of killing two women whose bodies were found in a rural pond in 1996 is scheduled to be put to death in October under a death warrant signed by Republican Gov.
14th of the Year: DeSantis Signs Death Warrant for Samuel Smithers, 72, Who Murdered 2 Women in 1996
In what could be Florida’s 14th execution this year, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday signed a death warrant for a man convicted of murdering two women in 1996 in Hillsborough County and dumping them in a pond. Samuel Smithers, 72, is scheduled to be put to death by lethal injection Oct. 14 at Florida State Prison for the murders of Denise Roach and Christy Cowan at a secluded property where he worked as a caretaker. The post 14th of the Year: DeSant…
Sun-Sentinel
Orlando SentinelDeSantis signs death warrant for man convicted of murdering 2 women in Hillsborough County
TALLAHASSEE — In what could be Florida’s 14th execution this year, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday signed a death warrant for a man convicted of murdering two women in 1996 in Hillsborough County and dumping them in a pond. Samuel Smithers, 72, is scheduled to be put to death by lethal injection Oct. 14 at Florida State Prison for the murders of Denise Roach and Christy Cowan at a secluded property where he worked as a caretaker, according to docume…
Death Warrant Signed in Hillsborough Murders
TALLAHASSEE — In what could be Florida’s 14th execution this year, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday signed a death warrant for a man convicted of murdering two women in 1996 in Hillsborough County and dumping them in a pond.
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