The Florida Supreme Court dismissed the latest appeal from Dennis Michael Sochor's legal team on Wednesday, paving the way for his execution scheduled for next Tuesday, July 14, at Florida State Prison in Starke, as reported by CBS Miami.
Sochor, aged 74, received the death penalty for the murder of 18-year-old Patricia Gifford, whom he strangled after meeting her on New Year's Eve 1981 at the Banana Boat bar in Broward County. His sentence was handed down on November 2, 1987, and became final in 1993, leaving him on death row for over three decades.
Governor's Firm Stance on Capital Punishment
Governor Ron DeSantis signed the execution order on June 11. If carried out, Sochor's death will mark the tenth execution in Florida in 2026, under a stringent capital punishment policy spearheaded by the Republican leader. Florida set a modern precedent in 2025, executing 19 inmates, which accounted for nearly 40% of all executions in the United States that year, far surpassing the state's previous record of eight executions in 2014.
Controversy Over Lethal Injection Method
Sochor's defense argued that Florida's lethal injection protocol, which uses a combination of three drugs, infringes upon the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution. They claimed that the sedative etomidate does not reliably keep the inmate unconscious, and when combined with other drugs, it could cause acute pulmonary edema, leading to a severe sensation of suffocation.
As an alternative, they proposed execution by firing squad, suggesting it would render the person unconscious within "three to five seconds." However, the Supreme Court rejected these claims, noting that autopsy reports cited by the defense, from executions between 2017 and 2026, have been publicly available since the first one in 2017, and the lethal injection protocol has not undergone significant changes during that time.
Claims of Prosecutorial Misconduct
The judges also dismissed accusations that the prosecution hid a letter sent in 2022 by a Broward County Sheriff's Office detective to Sochor's brother, Gary. The letter merely sought information that could lead to the recovery of Patricia Gifford's body, which was never found.
The defense has long argued that the conviction heavily relied on Gary Sochor's testimony, who allegedly received prosecutorial immunity in exchange for testifying against his brother. In a 2016 motion, Dennis Sochor claimed the prosecution withheld information that Gary had confessed to a friend about his involvement in the crime.
Execution Proceedings Resumed for Another Inmate
In a separate ruling issued the same day, the Supreme Court lifted the stay on the execution of James Aren Duckett, a 68-year-old former police officer convicted of raping and murdering an 11-year-old girl in 1987. Duckett had been granted a temporary stay in March for new DNA testing, but the Florida Attorney General's office determined that the results did not provide exonerating evidence.
Although Duckett's execution order has expired, a spokesperson for Governor DeSantis declined to specify when a new order might be signed, simply stating, "Stay tuned."
Presently, 246 individuals reside on death row in Florida, making it one of the states with the highest number of death penalty inmates in the nation.
Florida's Death Row: Key Questions Answered
What was Dennis Michael Sochor's crime?
Dennis Michael Sochor was convicted of the murder of 18-year-old Patricia Gifford, whom he strangled after meeting her on New Year's Eve 1981.
Why did Sochor's defense challenge the lethal injection?
The defense argued that the lethal injection protocol used in Florida violated constitutional amendments because the drugs might not ensure the inmate remains unconscious, potentially causing severe distress.
What is the current status of James Aren Duckett's execution?
The Florida Supreme Court has lifted the stay on Duckett's execution, but no new date has been set for his execution as of now.