STARKE, Fla. (AP) — A Florida man convicted of killing two women whose bodies were found in a rural pond is scheduled to be executed on Tuesday evening.
Samuel Lee Smithers, 72, is set to receive a lethal injection starting at 6 p.m. at Florida State Prison near Starke under a death warrant signed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. It would be Florida’s 14th death sentence carried out in 2025, further extending the state record for executions in a single year.
Since the U.S. Supreme Court restored the death penalty in 1976, the highest previous annual total of Florida executions was eight in 2014. Florida has executed more people than any other state this year, followed by Texas with five.
Smithers was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to death in 1999.
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According to court records, Smithers met Christy Cowan and Denise Roach on different dates in May 1996 at a Tampa motel to pay them for sex. At the time, he was doing landscape maintenance on a 27-acre (11-hectare) property that included three ponds in rural Plant City, Florida.
On May 28, 1996, the property owner — who had met Smithers in church where he was a Baptist deacon — stopped by to find Smithers cleaning an axe in the carport, which he claimed to be using to trim tree limbs. The property owner noticed a pool of blood in the carport, and Smithers told her that someone must have come by and killed a small animal, according to court records.
The woman contacted law enforcement, and a sheriff’s deputy met her later that day at the property. The blood had been cleaned up, but the deputy noticed drag marks leading to one of the ponds, according to court records. That’s where authorities found the bodies of Cowan and Roach. Both women had been severely beaten, strangled and left in the pond to die.
The Florida Supreme Court denied an appeal from Smithers last week. His attorneys had argued that his age should make him ineligible for execution under the U.S. Constitution’s prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. Although Smithers would be one of the oldest people ever executed in Florida, the justices ruled that the elderly are not categorically exempt from the death penalty.
An appeal before the U.S. Supreme Court was still pending.
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A total of 35 men have died by court-ordered execution so far this year in the U.S., and at least eight other people are scheduled to be put to death during the remainder of 2025.
Norman Mearle Grim Jr., 65, is scheduled for Florida’s 15th execution on Oct. 28. He was convicted of raping and killing his neighbor, whose body was found by a fisherman near the Pensacola Bay Bridge in 1998.
Bryan Fredrick Jennings, 66, is set for Florida’s 16th execution on Nov. 13. He was convicted of raping and killing a 6-year-old girl after abducting her from her central Florida home in 1979.
Florida executions are carried out using a three-drug injection: a sedative, a paralytic and a drug that stops the heart, according to the state Department of Corrections.
This Week in South Florida Full Episode: March 1, 2026
PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. — On the latest episode of “This Week in South Florida” host Janine Stanwood welcomes President and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Broward County Audra Berg, Secretary General of the Assembly of the Cuban Resistance Orlando Gutierrez-Boronat, Division Director of Flood Control and Water Supply Planning for the South Florida Water Management District Carolina Maran, State Rep. Juan Carlos Porras and State Rep. Kevin Chambliss.
The full episode can be seen at the top of this page.
Copyright 2026 by WPLG Local10.com – All rights reserved.
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Janine Stanwood
Janine Stanwood is a Emmy award-winning reporter and anchor. She joined Local 10 News in February 2004 as an assignment editor.
South Florida leaders are taking preventative measures to keep residents safe after the U.S. and Israel launched major strikes on Iran early Saturday morning.
Miami-Dade County mayor Daniella-Levine Cava issued a statement reacting to the military operation that President Trump dubbed on Truth Social as “Operation Epic Fury.”
The statement reads: “The escalating conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran poses serious risks to regional stability and international safety.”
She goes on to say that her thoughts are “with the people of Israel and the Jewish community here in South Florida who are watching these events with worry and uncertainty.” She also says the Iranian people “deserve peace, safety, dignity, and the freedom to live without repression.”
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Of the Trump administration’s decision to launch the military operation, Levine-Cava writes: “Any military action taken without congressional authorization is a dangerous precedent, and we must learn from our nation’s past challenges. What must come next is a serious effort to restore stability and pursue diplomacy, not further violence.”
As for measures she will be taking, she says she asked her Chief of Public Safety to “ensure public safety agencies are aware and ready to activate plans in case of any disruption.”
The Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz also issued a statement saying that MDSO is “taking immediate security measures by increasing patrols to ensure the safety of our residents.” She said that they have increased security presence around places of worship, cultural centers, and schools.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the servicemen and women protecting our national security interests around the globe,” Cordero-Stutz wrote.
Aventura Police have also responded to the current situation on X, saying that they are monitoring the “current situation in the Middle East with our local, state, and federal partners.”
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@aventurapoliceis monitoring the current situation in the Middle East with our local, state and federal partners. At this time there are no known or credible threats to the US or Miami-Dade County. In an abundance of caution, we have implemented a heightened security posture with directed patrols at our religious facilities and other sensitive locations throughout @cityofaventuraWe will continue to monitor and report any suspicious behavior.https://x.com/aventurapolice/status/2027787245164335222/photo/1
X/Aventura Police
They go on to say: “At this time, there are no known or credible threats to the U.S. or Miami-Dade County.” However, they note that in “an abundance of caution,” they will be increasing security in religious facilities and other locations they deem as “sensitive” throughout the city.
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The City of Miami Beach also posted its statement to X, saying it is also “closely monitoring the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.” They also note that at this time, there are no known credible threats to the city.
They write: “Out of an abundance of caution, we have increased our uniformed presence at synagogues, schools, and other key locations citywide. We remain in close coordination with our law enforcement partners and leaders within the faith-based community.”
Miami Beach Police Department Increases Patrols Ahead of Purim Amid Ongoing Middle East Conflicthttps://x.com/MiamiBeachPD/status/2027752171173773807/photo/1
X/Miami Beach Police
They also urge residents to report any “suspicious or unlawful activity” to call their non-emergency number at 305-673-7901 or, if it is an emergency, call 911.
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Other cities’ police departments, such as Bal Harbour, Sunny Isles Beach, and Hallendale Beach, posted on their social media that they will also increase security measures after the U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran.
