Podcast Summary: "DOUBLE EXECUTION"

Podcast: Amy Robach & T.J. Holmes Present
Host: iHeartPodcasts
Date: October 14, 2025
Episode Title: DOUBLE EXECUTION

Episode Overview

This episode, hosted by Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes, delves into the record-setting year for executions in the United States, focusing on two executions that took place on October 14th, 2025—one in Missouri and one in Florida. The hosts break down the details of each case, the broader legal and political trends behind the uptick in executions, and discuss the controversial nature of the death penalty's resurgence in America. The conversation is candid, sometimes somber, and occasionally marked by disbelief at the present state of capital punishment in the country.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Record Number of Executions in 2025

• Context:
  • As of this episode, the U.S. has conducted 37 executions in 2025—more than any year since 2014.
  • Florida, in particular, has set a new state record, already reaching 14 executions for the year, nearly doubling its previous annual high.
• Quote:
  • "We're used to Texas, I guess, leading the way... but Florida is way out ahead this year." – TJ Holmes [03:55]
  • "Previously the largest number of executions in one year was eight. We're already up to number 14 with more scheduled. That is remarkable." – Amy Robach [03:35]
• The episode reflects on the ongoing and scheduled executions, noting a particularly intense eight-day stretch with six executions scheduled.

2. Detailed Reporting on the Executions

Lance Shockley (Missouri Execution)

• Conviction: Murder of Missouri State Highway Patrol Sergeant Carl Graham in 2005.
• Claims of Innocence:
  • Shockley maintained his innocence until the end.
  • Defense argued lack of forensic or eyewitness evidence, sought DNA testing on key evidence unavailable during the original trial.
• Legal Process:
  • All appeals and pleas for clemency, including requests for DNA testing, were rejected by courts and the governor.
  • Notable that in Missouri (and Indiana), a judge can impose a death sentence if the jury is split, which was the case here.
• Quote:
  • "He killed the state trooper to try and basically stop the investigation into manslaughter." – Amy Robach [07:12]
  • "You better be damn sure with your evidence, or there's not going to be a lot of tolerance for that." – TJ Holmes [07:58]
  • "The jury unanimously convicted Shockley... [but] they were not unanimous in their decision to sentence him to death." – Amy Robach [09:49]

Samuel Lee Smithers (Florida Execution)

• Conviction: Double murder of two young women in the mid-1990s.
• Age & Appeals:
  • Smithers, 72, with appeals centered on his age and potential for cruel and unusual punishment.
  • All legal appeals and requests for clemency were denied.
• Execution Details:
  • Executed at 6:00 PM local time.
  • Spent his final day alone; had no visitors or spiritual advisors.
  • Last meal: fried chicken, fried fish, apple pie, and ice cream.
• Crime Details:
  • The crime described as brutal—victims were beaten, strangled, and their bodies dragged and left in a pond.
  • "That is just a horrific, horrific scene... It is fairly sickening, to say the very least." – Amy Robach [11:24]

3. Broader Trends and Historical Perspective

• The spike in executions is the highest since 2014, but still below the peaks of the late 1990s, when the U.S. saw up to 98 executions in a year.
• Discussion of how execution numbers dipped during the pandemic years and are surging now, perhaps due to logistical backlogs or policy shifts.
• Quote:
  • "That is the most we've seen in this country since 2014, I believe... But, historically... we’re not necessarily knocking on the door [of] some of those bigger numbers." – TJ Holmes [12:09]

4. Legal and Political Factors Driving the Uptick

• Drug Availability and Protocol Controversies:

  • Past delays caused by lack of execution drugs (pharmaceutical companies refusing to supply them).
  • Ongoing concerns about botched executions and cruel/unusual punishment have led states to adjust execution methods (e.g., firing squad, nitrogen gas).
  • Amy recalls her experience witnessing a difficult execution and the nationwide debate over humane methods.
  • Quote:
    • "We have the death penalty, but we want to kill you as comfortably as possible... We violate your constitutional rights if you are uncomfortable when we do so." – TJ Holmes [18:39]

• State-Level Patterns:

  • Texas, Florida, South Carolina, and Alabama are highlighted as leading execution states.
  • 27 states currently maintain the death penalty; 23 do not.

• Federal Directives and Executive Orders:

  • Notably, President Trump's January 2025 executive order—titled "Restoring the death penalty and Protecting public safety"—revitalized federal support for capital punishment.
  • The order pushed the Justice Department to enforce and assist with capital cases, notably emphasizing cases involving law enforcement victims and undocumented immigrants.
  • Quote:
    • "He wants the Attorney General to pursue federal jurisdiction and seek the death penalty regardless of other factors... [including] a capital crime committed by... an illegal... alien illegally present in this country." – Amy Robach [21:20]

5. The Ethics, Costs, and Efficacy of the Death Penalty

• Robach and Holmes reflect on America's unique position as the only Western nation actively carrying out executions.
• They question death penalty’s role as a deterrent and note its higher cost compared to life imprisonment.
• Acknowledgement of divided public opinion and sporadic attention to the death penalty issue amidst other pressing national concerns.
• Notable Quotes:
  • "We are the only western civilized country that still has legal executions, and yet our crime rates are among the highest..." – Amy Robach [22:28]
  • "It is significantly more expensive to execute a prisoner than to maintain them for life in prison." – Amy Robach [22:52]
  • "It seems bizarre that we are just routinely killing folks, but that's the United States of America right now in 2025." – Amy Robach [23:41]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Execution Details:
  • "Smithers last meal was fried chicken, fried fish along with apple pie and ice cream." – Amy Robach [06:23]
• On America's Attitude:
  • "We're fighting and fighting and fighting to make sure we kill people, but we kill humanely." – TJ Holmes [18:58]
• On Policy Shift:
  • "He signed right after getting into office... Restoring the death penalty and Protecting public safety." – TJ Holmes [20:47]
• On Broader Context:
  • "Some people might say it's about time. Others might feel really sickened by where we are." – Amy Robach [22:28]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:57] – Main episode opens: Announcement of executions and statistical context
• [03:55] – Florida’s execution record and state-by-state discussion
• [04:39 – 09:49] – Breakdown of the Lance Shockley case: legal maneuvers, evidence, and execution
• [05:23 – 06:43] – Details on Samuel Lee Smithers: crime, appeals, final day, last meal
• [10:41 – 12:09] – Recap of both crimes and the historical perspective on execution numbers
• [13:33] – Return from break: Trends in executions and Robert Roberson case (stay in Texas)
• [16:42 – 19:20] – Why the uptick? Drug shortages, method controversies, state patterns
• [20:46 – 22:04] – Executive orders and federal influence on capital punishment resurgence
• [22:28 – 23:41] – Closing reflections on ethics, expense, public opinion, and U.S. exceptionalism

Tone & Style

The hosts maintain a direct, informed, and sometimes incredulous tone throughout, blending factual reporting with personal observations and moral consideration. They refrain from sensationalism, focusing on the gravity, controversy, and implications of current events around the death penalty in America.

This summary encapsulates all vital topics and moments from the episode, serving as a concise yet comprehensive guide for anyone seeking to understand its content and the ongoing national conversation on capital punishment.