STARKE, Fla. (AP) — A man convicted of the 1996 killings of two women whose bodies were left in a rural pond was put to death Tuesday evening in a record 14th execution in Florida this year.
Samuel Lee Smithers, 72, was pronounced dead at 6:15 p.m. following a lethal injection at Florida State Prison near Starke. Smithers was convicted in 1999 of two counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to death.
The curtain to the death chamber went up promptly at the scheduled 6:00 p.m. execution time, with Smithers already strapped to a table and an IV in his arm. When asked if he had a final statement, he responded, "No sir."
The administration of the lethal drugs began almost immediately. Initially, Smithers’ breathing was heavy and he underwent slight convulsions before all movements eventually stopped. A warden shook Smithers and shouted his name, but there was no response. |