Four Inmates Scheduled for Execution Across Four States This Week, Marking Busiest Death Penalty Month in 15 Years
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Four inmates across Missouri, Florida, Mississippi, and Arizona are scheduled to be executed this week, making October 2025 the busiest month for the death penalty in nearly 15 years, according to state correctional officials.
If all are carried out as planned, this month will total seven executions nationwide, amid what experts describe as a renewed push for capital punishment following years of decline. So far, 35 executions have taken place in 2025 — the highest annual figure since 2014 — as several states expand execution methods and accelerate pending cases.
Executions Begin in Missouri and Florida
The first two executions are scheduled for Tuesday, with Missouri and Florida each set to carry out lethal injections within hours of each other.
In Missouri, 48-year-old Lance Shockley is slated for execution for the 2005 ambush murder of Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Carl “Dewayne” Graham Jr. Investigators say Graham, a 37-year-old father, was shot multiple times when he arrived home in Van Buren after pursuing a case involving Shockley.
In Florida, 72-year-old Samuel Lee Smithers, a former church deacon, faces execution for the 1996 murders of two women — Denise Roach, 24, and Christy Cowan, 31 — in the Tampa area. Smithers partially confessed to the killings, saying arguments over money led to the attacks. Prosecutors said he used an axe and garden hoe to kill the women before dumping their bodies in a pond.
Mississippi and Arizona Set Midweek and Friday Executions
On Wednesday, Mississippi plans to execute 59-year-old Charles Ray Crawford, convicted of the 1993 kidnapping, assault, and murder of 20-year-old Kristy Ray, a student at Northeast Mississippi Community College. Authorities said Crawford, who was out on bail for prior assaults, broke into Ray’s home, abducted her, and later left her body in nearby woods.
The week will conclude Friday in Arizona, where 55-year-old Richard Djerf is set to die for the 1993 murders of the Luna family in Phoenix. Prosecutors said Djerf killed Albert and Patricia Luna, along with their 17-year-old daughter Rochelle and 5-year-old son Damien, in revenge against a former roommate. Court documents show Djerf bound and killed all four victims, later confessing in detail to the crime.
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A Surge in Death Penalty Activity Nationwide
The cluster of executions marks the highest volume in a single week since 2011. Analysts say the uptick reflects political shifts in several Southern states, where lawmakers and governors have supported faster appeals and expanded use of lethal injection or alternative methods.
Despite national debate, supporters of the death penalty argue it remains a necessary deterrent for violent crime, while opponents warn the growing number of executions signals a regression in justice reform.
Ongoing National Debate Over Capital Punishment
Organizations including the Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC) note that while overall public support for executions remains divided, several states — including Florida and Missouri — have intensified enforcement in recent years.
If all scheduled executions proceed through the end of October, 2025 will rank among the top five years for executions in the past two decades, continuing a trend of renewed implementation after a period of decline between 2019 and 2022.
The scheduled executions in Missouri, Florida, Mississippi, and Arizona are expected to take place via lethal injection, the primary method used in the United States.
Readers can follow continued coverage of national justice and legal developments at SaludaStandard-Sentinel.com.
