DeSantis Signs 10th Death Warrant of 2026 for Man Who Killed Wife

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed his tenth death warrant of 2026 on Tuesday for Dusty Ray Spencer, a Death Row inmate imprisoned for more than three decades for murdering his wife in Orange County.

The signing marks a continued acceleration of Florida's capital punishment schedule under DeSantis. Ten warrants in a single calendar year — with months still remaining in 2026 — represents a pace that state capital defense attorneys say places significant pressure on the court system statewide, including the appellate process that Death Row inmates rely upon.

Spencer was convicted of killing his wife in Orange County. Public records confirm he has been held on Death Row for more than 30 years, making his case among the older capital convictions in the state system.

DeSantis has signed death warrants at a rate that outpaces recent predecessors. The tenth warrant of the year comes as Florida continues to debate the scope and speed of its capital punishment system following a 2023 state law that lowered the jury unanimity threshold required to recommend a death sentence — a change that drew immediate legal challenges.

No execution date for Spencer was immediately available in public records. Once a warrant is signed, Florida law sets an execution within a defined scheduling window, triggering a final round of appeals. Spencer's legal team is expected to return to court.

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