VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — On Friday, attorneys for two men found guilty of the alleged Xbox murders appeared in court for a final attempt to sway a judge before they were given the death penalty.
Troy Victorino and Jerone Hunter’s defense team provided further evidence during a Spencer hearing prior to a sentencing decision.
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The sentence date was not specified.
A jury in May recommended the death punishment for the two men found guilty of the greatest mass murder in the history of Volusia County.
In a 2004 case that garnered national attention, Victorino and Hunter were found guilty of breaking into a Deltona residence, stabbing six people, and beating them to death with baseball bats.
In the resentencing trial, the defense makes its case below.
An Xbox was among the things Victorino left behind after being evicted from one of the victims’ homes where he had been squatting.
The Florida Supreme Court declared in 2017 that a jury must be unanimous when recommending the death penalty, overturning the two men’s 2006 death sentences.
The standard for a jury to recommend death has since been lowered to 8–4 due to changes in state legislation.
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Hunter’s and Victorino’s teams each argued for life in prison in May, although they did so independently.
According to Hunter’s team, Victorino coerced him into joining.
Victorino’s defense contended that because of his past mental health problems, he should not be put to death.
The hearing on Friday starts at 10 a.m.
