Florida to Execute Dennis Sochor for 1981 Murder of Patty Gifford
She was celebrating New Year s Eve – Florida authorities are preparing to carry out the execution of Dennis Sochor, a 74-year-old man convicted of raping and killing 18-year-old Patty Gifford on New Year’s Eve in 1981. The lethal injection is scheduled for Tuesday, July 14, at 6 p.m. Eastern Time at the state prison facility in Raiford. This case has remained unresolved for more than four decades, with Gifford’s remains never recovered despite Sochor’s confession to the crime.
A Night of Celebration Turns Tragic
On December 31, 1981, Patty Gifford and her friend Delta Harville, age 22, visited the Banana Boat bar in Fort Lauderdale to welcome the new year. Both women were aerobics instructors who maintained active lifestyles, so they limited their alcohol consumption to just a few glasses of Champagne. By midnight, Gifford had switched to drinking iced tea, according to bartender Patricia Borman’s testimony at the time.
Dennis Sochor, then 29 years old, was also present at the establishment that evening. Court documents reveal that Sochor had a criminal history that included a rape confession in Michigan in 1979 and a conviction for assaulting a 19-year-old Florida woman in 1980. He had received a sentence of one year in prison followed by five years of probation for that earlier offense.
Witnesses observed Sochor fixating on Gifford throughout the evening. He stood near her, offered to purchase drinks, and showered her with compliments. Gifford attempted to dismiss his attention, but Harville later recounted to investigators that Sochor’s persistence was noticeable. Shortly after midnight, Harville experienced discomfort and Gifford walked her to her vehicle, promising to return. Harville dozed off and awoke around 5:30 a.m. to find herself alone in the car with no trace of her friend.
The Investigation and Sochor’s Flight
Investigators initially struggled to determine Gifford’s whereabouts. The breakthrough came when they examined photographs taken by Harville at the bar. One image captured Sochor lurking in the background, which became crucial evidence in the case. Following the photo’s release to the public, Sochor fled Florida.
Authorities located Sochor’s brother, who provided an account of what transpired. He stated that Gifford had consented to accompany the brothers for breakfast in the early morning hours of January 1, 1982. During the drive, Sochor assaulted Gifford and began raping her beside the roadway. The brother claimed he attempted to stop the attack by throwing a rock at Sochor, but described his brother’s eyes rolling back as though “possessed by the devil.” Later, the brother modified his statement, indicating he did not directly witness the rape.
Justice Delayed but Not Denied
Sochor remained at large for more than four years until Georgia law enforcement detained him in May 1986 on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. During this arrest, he confessed to strangling Gifford after she rejected his advances and subsequently discarded her body. The Broward County Sheriff’s Lt. Mark Schlein reflected on the tragedy in 1983, telling the South Florida Sun Sentinel: “The only mistake she made was going out with friends and celebrating New Year’s Eve. She was a young and beautiful girl, with everything to live for… A real tragedy.”
Florida’s Execution Surge
Sochor’s upcoming execution places him among the 17 inmates put to death in the United States this year and the 10th in Florida. Governor Ron DeSantis has accelerated the state’s execution schedule, emphasizing closure for victims’ families who have endured decades of waiting. According to USA TODAY analysis, Florida has conducted 28 of the 63 executions nationwide in 2025 and through the current year, representing 45 percent of the total. This year alone, Florida accounts for 56 percent of U.S. executions.
“The only mistake she made was going out with friends and celebrating New Year’s Eve,” Broward County Sheriff’s Lt. Mark Schlein told the South Florida Sun Sentinel in 1983. “She was a young and beautiful girl, with everything to live for… A real tragedy.”
Sochor’s case exemplifies the long road to justice that many families experience. Despite his confession and the photographic evidence that helped solve the murder, Gifford’s body has never been recovered, leaving her family with an unresolved grief that continues to this day. The execution represents not only accountability for Sochor but also a moment of recognition for a young woman whose life was cut short on one of the most celebratory nights of the year.
