Florida ‘Deacon of Death’ executed for murders of two women found dumped in lake as state sets record

A Florida killer known as the “Deacon of Death” was executed on Tuesday for the murders of two women whose bodies were found dumped in a pond in 1996, continuing a record 14 executions carried out by the state this year.

Samuel Lee Smithers, 72, was pronounced dead at 6:15 p.m. by lethal injection inside the Florida State Prison in Bradford County, officials announced.

The execution chamber curtains were opened at 6 p.m. with Smithers already strapped to the table with an IV in his arm.

He declined to give a final statement, only responding with “No, sir” when asked.

For his last meal, he ordered peanut butter, three packs of oatmeal, water and two sports drinks.

Smithers, a Baptist deacon, met his two victims – Christy Cowan and Denise Roach – on separate occasions in May 1996 outside a Tampa Motel on Hillsborough Avenue, a street notorious for prostitution.

Cowan and Denise, both prostitutes, were lured to a 27-acre property where Smithers had been asked to do landscaping work, according to court documents.

Smithers was found to have engaged in sex with both women before leading them to a carport and murdering them, dumping their bodies in one of the ponds on the property.

The property owner, who knew Smithers from church, discovered the deacon cleaning an axe near a pool of blood inside the carport days after he was supposed to have finished the yard work.

Smithers claimed he had returned to the property to chop down tree limbs and blamed the pool of blood on someone killing an animal inside.

The property owner called the cops, who discovered Cowan’s body floating in the pond.

Cowan was found murdered only hours after being seen with Smithers on a security camera.

A dive team found Roach’s body underneath the water, badly decomposed and believed to have been there for at least a week.

Both women suffered similar injuries, including strangulation to the neck, lacerations and chop wounds to the head.

Roach was found with 16 puncture wounds to the skull and skull fractures.

Smithers is believed to have used both an axe and a hoe in the murders.

During his trial, it was revealed that Smithers had visited the Tampa motel several times before and “dated” another prostitute.

Smithers’ death marks the 14th time this year Florida has executed someone on death row — a record for total executions by the state in a single year.

Two more death row inmates, Norman Mearle Grim Jr. and Bryan Fredrick Jennings, are scheduled to be executed on Oct. 28 and Nov. 13, respectively.

Grim Jr. was convicted of raping and killing his neighbor in 1998.

Jennings abducted a 6-year-old girl from her home before raping and murdering her in 1979.

Smithers’ execution was carried out the same day Missouri executed 48-year-old Lance Shockley who shot and killed Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Carl Dewayne Graham Jr. in March 2005.

With Post wires