Catholic leaders across Florida are urging Gov. Ron DeSantis to halt the scheduled execution of death row inmate Dusty Ray Spencer, arguing that life imprisonment without parole would provide justice while preserving human dignity.
The appeal comes as Florida continues a historic pace of executions under DeSantis, who oversaw a record 19 executions in 2025 and has already authorized eight executions in 2026. If Spencer is put to death as scheduled on June 25, he would become the ninth person executed in Florida this year and the oldest inmate ever executed by the state at age 74.
The effort is being led by the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops (FCCB), the public policy arm of the Catholic Church in Florida. In a June 18 letter to DeSantis, FCCB Executive Director Michael Sheedy asked the governor to commute Spencer's death sentence to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
"Mr. Spencer's crime was truly heinous and merits a severe punishment by the state," Sheedy wrote in the letter, while arguing that the state should not take his life. Church leaders pointed to Spencer's history of childhood sexual abuse and documented mental health issues as factors warranting mercy.
Spencer was convicted of the 1992 murder of his wife, Karen Spencer, in a case that prosecutors described as exceptionally brutal. According to court records cited by the Miami Herald, the couple had a history of domestic violence incidents before Spencer fatally attacked his wife in front of their teenage son. Karen Spencer suffered blunt-force trauma, multiple stab wounds, and other injuries before dying.
Despite acknowledging the severity of the crime, Catholic leaders say opposition to the execution is rooted in Church teaching that all human life remains sacred, even after conviction for violent crimes.
Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski told the Miami Herald that society can stand with victims' families while rejecting capital punishment.
"The commutation to life imprisonment would serve the common good of all by helping break our society's spiral of violence," Wenski said, arguing that an "eye for an eye" approach ultimately harms society.
The execution debate comes amid growing scrutiny of Florida's accelerated use of the death penalty. Last year, the state carried out 19 executions, the highest number in Florida history and one of the highest totals recorded by any state in recent decades. Florida's increase follows changes to state law signed by DeSantis in 2023 allowing juries to recommend death sentences with an 8-4 vote rather than requiring unanimity.
Catholic leaders have repeatedly challenged the governor's execution policies. The FCCB has sent letters seeking clemency for numerous death row inmates over the past two years, including Ronald Heath, Richard Knight, Andrew Lukehart and several others scheduled for execution in 2025 and 2026. The bishops have also called on DeSantis to pause the signing of additional death warrants while broader discussions about capital punishment take place.
Across Florida, Catholic groups are organizing prayer vigils and demonstrations opposing Spencer's execution. Father Phil Egitto of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Daytona Beach told the Miami Herald that members of his congregation have traveled to Florida State Prison for decades to pray on execution days.
"We're trying to get the word out that executions aren't the answer," Egitto said.
So far, DeSantis has shown little indication that he intends to alter course. The governor has consistently defended capital punishment as a tool for delivering justice to victims and their families and has made Florida one of the nation's most active death penalty states.
Unless a court intervenes or the governor grants clemency, Spencer's execution is expected to proceed Thursday, adding another chapter to Florida's record-setting use of the death penalty and its continuing clash with religious leaders who argue that justice and mercy can coexist.
