A loss of life row inmate who turned Florida’s oldest executed prisoner was branded a “lifelong brutal and sadistic man” by his homicide sufferer’s devastated sister.
Dennis Sochor, 74, died Tuesday night following a three-drug injection at Florida State Jail close to Starke.
He was convicted of killing Patricia Gifford on January 1, 1982, after assembly the 18-year-old at a New Yr’s Eve occasion at a bar in Fort Lauderdale.
After witnessing the execution, Patricia’s sister, Marilyn Gifford, mentioned it was bittersweet as a result of her stays have nonetheless not been discovered.
“He had 45 years to return Patty’s stays to us, however he cruelly selected to not,” she mentioned, studying from an announcement.
“We by no means bought an opportunity to put her to relaxation in God’s arms. With out closure, each completely happy reminiscence of Patty is instantly crushed by the tragedy of her homicide.”
“Tonight’s execution was acceptable as a result of Dennis Sochor was a lifelong brutal and sadistic man,” she slammed.
The heartbroken sibling identified that Sochor spent greater than twice as lengthy on loss of life row as her sister bought to stay her whole life.
Patricia Gifford was celebrating the incoming New Yr with a pal when she met Sochor and his brother, in response to court docket data.
The 4 spent hours speaking earlier than the pal turned in poor health and went to sleep in her automobile. Gifford then left with Sochor and his brother to get breakfast.
As a substitute of going for meals, investigators say Sochor –– who grew up in Michigan –– stopped his truck in a secluded space and attacked Gifford.
He was later arrested in Georgia in 1986 on unrelated prices and extradited to Florida.
His brother advised cops that Sochor was chargeable for the teenager’s disappearance, and Sochor himself confessed on tape to choking and disposing of her physique.
He was convicted of first-degree homicide and kidnapping in 1987, earlier than being sentenced to loss of life.
Whereas strapped to a gurney on Tuesday, the warden requested Sochor if he had any last phrases.
Sochor mentioned he was “deeply sorry” and thanked his family members for his or her help through the years.
He then counseled his spirit to Jesus Christ earlier than the medication had been injected by way of an IV in his arm at 6:03 p.m.
The prisoner was seen to be respiration closely for a few minute earlier than he began sputtering.
Sochor then went nonetheless for 2 minutes, main the warden to look into his eyes, shake his shoulders, and yell his identify. He didn’t get a response.
A medic was summoned and pronounced Sochor useless at 6:16 p.m.
One other 74-year-old inmate, Dusty Ray Spencer — who was only one week youthful than Sochor at time of execution — was put to loss of life in June.
Florida can also be set to execute 80-year-old Dominick Anthony Occhicone later this month — who can be the state’s first octogenarian to be executed with a deadly injection within the state and the second oldest prisoner recognized to be put to loss of life in trendy US historical past.
The state has carried out 10 of the 16 executions carried out within the US thus far this yr — which is greater than each different state mixed.
With Put up wires.
