Florida Executes Oldest Inmate in Modern History

A 74-year-old man was executed in Florida, marking him as the oldest inmate executed in the state’s modern history. Dennis Sochor was declared dead at 6:16 p.m. following a three-drug injection at Florida State Prison near Starke. Sochor was convicted of first-degree murder and kidnapping after 18-year-old Patricia Gifford refused his advances on January 1, 1982.

The U.S. Supreme Court denied Sochor’s request for a stay of execution and rejected his petition for review, allowing the execution to proceed without interruption.

Sochor, bound to a gurney, had an IV in his arm when the execution chamber curtain rose. He publicly apologized to Gifford’s family, expressing deep remorse for his actions. He also thanked his supporters and committed his spirit to Jesus Christ, as relayed by a spokesman for Governor Ron DeSantis’ office.

Sparing the last meal ritual, Sochor met with a visitor and a spiritual advisor before his execution.

The events leading up to Gifford’s murder began on New Year’s Day in the Fort Lauderdale area. Sochor met Gifford at a bar while celebrating with his brother. After a night of conversation, Gifford left with Sochor and his brother to have breakfast. However, Sochor drove to a secluded location where Gifford rejected his request for sex; he then attacked her, according to investigators.

In 1986, authorities arrested Sochor on unrelated charges and extradited him to Florida, where he confessed to choking Gifford and disposing of her body. Sochor’s brother informed law enforcement about Sochor’s involvement in Gifford’s disappearance, though her body was never recovered. A jury convicted Sochor of first-degree murder and kidnapping in 1987, and he received a death sentence.

Florida is set to execute an 80-year-old prisoner later this July, and another 74-year-old inmate was executed recently, only a week younger than Sochor.

Sochor’s execution is the tenth in Florida this year. Notably, in 2025, Florida executed 19 individuals, setting a state record since the death penalty reinstatement in 1976. Last year, Florida led the nation in executions, with 47 individuals executed across the U.S. overall, whereas Alabama, Texas, and South Carolina each executed five.