On Tuesday, 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 pronounced dead at 6:16 p.m. following a three-drug injection at Florida State Prison near Starke, as confirmed by the Florida Department of Corrections. He was convicted of first-degree murder and kidnapping after 18-year-old Patricia Gifford refused his sexual advances on January 1, 1982.
The U.S. Supreme Court denied Sochor’s request for a stay of execution without comment, and his petition for review was rejected, allowing the scheduled execution to proceed. At the time of the execution, Sochor was strapped to a gurney with an IV in his arm.
According to a spokesman for Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office, Sochor apologized multiple times to Gifford’s family, expressing that he was “deeply sorry” for his actions. He also thanked his supporters over the years and entrusted his spirit to Jesus Christ. Sochor declined a last meal and met with a single visitor and a spiritual advisor prior to his execution.
Sochor, along with his brother, met Gifford as she was celebrating New Year’s Day in a bar in the Fort Lauderdale area. After spending the night talking, Gifford left the bar with Sochor and his brother to get breakfast. Sochor then drove to a secluded area, where he asked Gifford for sex, and upon her refusal, he attacked her according to investigators.
Sochor was arrested in 1986 on unrelated charges and returned to Florida, where he confessed to choking Gifford and disposing of her body. His brother informed authorities about Sochor’s involvement in Gifford’s disappearance, although her body has never been found. In 1987, Sochor was found guilty by a jury of first-degree murder and kidnapping, and he was sentenced to death.
This execution marks the 10th in Florida this year. Notably, an 80-year-old prisoner is slated for execution later this July, and another inmate, a week younger than Sochor, was executed last month. In 2025, Florida set a record by executing 19 individuals, surpassing the previous annual record of eight executions in 1984 and 2014. Last year, Florida carried out more executions than any other U.S. state, with Alabama, Texas, and South Carolina each executing five prisoners. The nationwide total in 2025 was 47 executions.