HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed a death warrant for Samuel Smithers, who is scheduled to be executed on Oct. 14.
Smithers, now 72, was convicted of murdering two women and disposing of their bodies in a pond in Hillsborough County in 1996.
His execution would mark the 14th in Florida this year, adding to what has already been a record-setting year for executions in the state.
His case has been part of the state’s ongoing efforts to carry out capital punishment for those convicted of heinous crimes.
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