Samuel Lee Smithers, convicted of brutally killing two women in 1996, has been executed by lethal injection after nearly three decades on death row. His last words and final meal are revealed.
Samuel Lee Smithers, a man convicted of the brutal murders of two women in 1996, has been executed after nearly 30 years on death row. The 72-year-old was executed by lethal injection at Florida State Prison near Starke, Florida, on the evening of October 14, 2025.
Smithers was convicted of murdering Christy Cowan and Denise Roach, two sex workers he met at a motel in Tampa, Florida, on separate occasions in May 1996. Both women were violently beaten and strangled before being dumped into a pond on a rural property in Plant City, Florida, where Smithers was working as a landscaper.
The Discovery of the Bodies
The gruesome murders began to unravel when the owner of the property noticed Smithers cleaning an axe in the carport on May 28, 1996. When questioned, Smithers claimed the axe was used to trim tree branches. However, the property owner discovered a pool of blood in the carport, which Smithers attributed to a small animal. Suspicious, the property owner called the authorities.
Later that day, a sheriff’s deputy visited the property and discovered marks on the ground leading to one of the ponds, which appeared to be drag marks. A dive into the pond revealed the bodies of Cowan and Roach, both of whom had been strangled and left to die in the cold water.
Smithers’ Conviction and Final Words
Smithers was arrested shortly after the discovery of the bodies and was sentenced to death in 1999 after being convicted of two counts of first-degree murder. His death sentence was carried out almost 26 years later.
In his final moments before execution, Smithers was asked if he had any last words. His response was simple: “No, sir.” Strapped to the gurney, Smithers was observed breathing heavily before convulsing slightly. He was declared dead at 6:15 p.m. on October 14, 2025, after being pronounced dead at 6:14 p.m.
The Last Meal
Before his execution, Smithers requested a final meal consisting of fried chicken, fried fish, a baked potato, apple pie with vanilla ice cream, and sweet tea. His final meal was served as per his request before the lethal injection was administered.
Smithers, who was dubbed the “Deacon of Death” by the media due to his occupation as a Baptist deacon and the horrific nature of his crimes, had spent nearly three decades on death row.
The Legacy of His Crimes
The murders of Christy Cowan and Denise Roach shocked the community and led to a lengthy investigation. Smithers’ execution brings closure to a case that had lingered for nearly three decades, with the two women’s families finally seeing justice.
