Nearly three decades after the brutal slayings of two women in Hillsborough County, a Florida man is scheduled to be executed Tuesday evening, closing a long and painful chapter in one of the state’s most haunting criminal cases.
Samuel Lee Smithers, 72, is set to die by lethal injection at 6 p.m. at Florida State Prison in Starke. His execution, authorized by Governor Ron DeSantis, marks the 14th carried out in Florida this year—an unprecedented number that underscores the state’s renewed commitment to enforcing capital punishment.
Smithers was convicted in 1999 for the murders of Christy Cowan and Denise Roach, two women whose lives ended violently in May 1996. Their bodies were discovered submerged in a rural pond off a desolate stretch of road in Plant City, a quiet agricultural town east of Tampa. The discovery shocked the community and launched an intensive investigation that would ultimately reveal a chilling pattern.
According to court documents, Smithers encountered the women separately and lured them to the same remote location. There, prosecutors said, he bludgeoned them with a hammer and dumped their bodies into the pond. The similarities in the killings—both victims were found partially clothed, with signs of blunt force trauma—led investigators to suspect a serial pattern. DNA evidence and witness testimony eventually tied Smithers to both crimes.
During his trial, prosecutors painted a portrait of a man who acted with deliberate cruelty and premeditation. The jury agreed, recommending the death penalty, which the judge imposed. Over the years, Smithers’ legal team filed multiple appeals, arguing issues ranging from ineffective counsel to mental health concerns. However, state and federal courts consistently upheld the conviction and sentence.
Smithers’ case has remained a point of reference in Florida’s ongoing debate over the death penalty. Supporters of capital punishment cite it as an example of justice served for heinous crimes, while opponents argue that the lengthy appeals process and the age of the condemned raise ethical and practical concerns. At 72, Smithers is among the oldest inmates to face execution in Florida’s modern history.
The execution also highlights a broader trend under Governor DeSantis, whose administration has prioritized the swift implementation of death sentences. Florida has now surpassed its previous record of eight executions in a single year, set in 2014, and currently leads the nation in executions for 2025, outpacing even Texas.
As the scheduled hour approaches, the families of Cowan and Roach are expected to witness the execution, bringing a measure of closure to a decades-long ordeal. Victim advocates say the moment is bittersweet—justice, perhaps, but never healing.
Outside the prison, a small group of protesters and supporters are expected to gather, as they often do on execution days. Some will hold signs calling for an end to capital punishment, while others will stand in silent remembrance of the victims.
For the state of Florida, the execution of Samuel Lee Smithers is another entry in a growing list. For the families of the women he killed, it is the final act in a story that began with unimaginable loss and ends, at last, with accountability.
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