Stay the Execution of Samuel Smithers

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Stay the Execution of Samuel Smithers

Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida Board of Executive Clemency

On Friday, September 12, Governor DeSantis signed a death warrant for Samuel Lee Smithers. Mr. Smithers was sentenced to death for the 1996 murders of Cristy Cowan and Denise Roach. The execution is scheduled for Tuesday, October 14 at 6 pm. If it proceeds, it will be the 14th execution to take place in Florida this year.

FADP stands in opposition to all executions, which do nothing to make our communities safer and only compound cycles of violence.

Petition will be updated as more information is available | 9/14/2025

Sponsored by

Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty

To: Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida Board of Executive Clemency
From: [Your Name]

We stand together to urge you to stay the execution of Samuel Lee Smithers and grant clemency. This does not mean excusing harm or diminishing accountability. Life without parole ensures separation, safety, and accountability without perpetuating the cycle of violence.

Mr. Smithers was sentenced to death for the 1996 murders of Cristy Cowan and Denise Roach. These acts were serious and tragic, but the punishment imposed has never been free of grave constitutional and legal concerns.

We are alarmed by Florida’s current pace of executions — more people have been put to death this year than in any year in history. At the same time, Florida leads the nation with 30 death row exonerees, a stark reminder of how often our system gets it wrong. Each execution risks compounding irreversible error, and every death sentence requires the highest scrutiny.

The death penalty is irreversible. We respectfully ask that you stay the execution of Samuel Lee Smithers, scheduled for October 14, 2025, and grant clemency.