Dennis Sochor, 74, is set to become the oldest inmate executed in Florida history. He was found guilty of first-degree murder and kidnapping in the 1982 killing of 18-year-old Patricia Gifford. The crime occurred after Gifford refused to have sex with Sochor in January of that year.

Sochor met Gifford while she was celebrating New Year's Day at a bar in the Fort Lauderdale area, accompanied by his brother, according to Fox 13. The group spent the night talking, and Gifford later left with Sochor and his brother to get breakfast. Investigators report that Sochor then attacked the teenager.

Arrested in 1986 on unrelated charges, Sochor was extradited to Florida where he confessed to choking Gifford and disposing of her body. He has been on death row since the 1980s.

The Supreme Court recently denied Sochor's appeal, clearing the way for his execution. The sentence will be carried out via a three-drug injection scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at Florida State Prison in Bradford County.

While Sochor will be the oldest inmate executed in Florida, an 80-year-old prisoner is also scheduled for execution later in July.

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