Dennis Sochor, 74, was executed Tuesday at Florida State Prison for the 1982 murder of 18-year-old Patricia Gifford. The execution, which took place after a three-drug lethal injection, brought some closure to Gifford's family, though her body has never been found.
Marilyn Gifford, Patricia's sister, stated that Sochor's death was bittersweet because the location of her sister's remains remains unknown. "He had 45 years to return Patty’s remains to us, but he cruelly chose not to," Marilyn said, reading from a statement after witnessing the execution. "We never got a chance to lay her to rest in God’s arms."
Sochor was convicted of killing Gifford on January 1, 1982, just hours after they met at a New Year's Eve party. According to reports, Sochor confessed to choking Gifford and disposing of her body. His brother testified that Sochor raped and killed Patricia before hiding her body, believing his brother was "demon-possessed."
Despite his execution, Sochor maintained that he was too intoxicated at the time of the murder to recall where he buried Gifford's body. An anti-death penalty advocate who met with Sochor as a spiritual adviser stated that Sochor had repeatedly claimed he could not remember the body's location. However, Patricia's sister expressed disbelief, stating, "He knows damn well where she is. He’s a liar. He’s a murderer. He’s a brutal killer whose word cannot be trusted."
Sochor's final words were an apology to the Gifford family and expressions of gratitude to his loved ones. He commended his spirit to Jesus Christ before the lethal drugs began flowing.
Florida has been active in its use of the death penalty, executing 10 inmates this year, more than all other states combined. The state recently executed another 74-year-old inmate, Dusty Ray Spencer, and has an 80-year-old inmate, Dominick Anthony Occhicone, scheduled for execution later this month. Occhicone's legal team is attempting to halt his execution, citing his advanced age and poor health.