Left to right: Troy Victorino, Jerone Hunter (Florida Department of Corrections).
A Florida judge has handed down death sentences to two men involved in a brutal crime that occurred over two decades ago. The case, centered on a search for a missing Xbox, resulted in the tragic deaths of six people and a dog.
Troy Victorino, aged 48, and Jerone Hunter, aged 39, have been sentenced to death for their roles in the 2004 Deltona massacre, which stands as the most deadly mass murder in Volusia County’s history. Following a week-and-a-half-long resentencing hearing in May, a jury recommended the death penalty for both men. On Monday, Volusia Circuit Judge Dawn Nichols confirmed this decision, aligning with the jury’s recommendation.
The convictions for murder, armed burglary, cruelty to animals, and abuse of a corpse originally led to death sentences for Victorino and Hunter back in 2006. However, these sentences were overturned in 2018 due to Florida’s new requirement for unanimous jury recommendations in death penalty cases. A new jury was convened for a resentencing hearing on April 20, 2023. Coincidentally, that same day, Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill allowing for the death penalty to be imposed with a recommendation from just 8 out of 12 jurors. This prompted a mistrial and led to the resentencing hearing earlier this year.
On August 6, 2004, Volusia County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a residence on Telford Lane, where they discovered the bodies of Jonathan Gleason, 17; Michelle Nathan, 19; Erin Belanger, 22; Roberto Gonzalez, 28; Francisco Ayo Roman, 30; and Anthony Vega, 34. A dog was also found beaten to death at the scene.
Authorities swiftly identified Victorino and Hunter as suspects, arresting them a day after the horrific incident.
During the investigation, Hunter initially denied being present in the home during the murders. He later confessed that he, along with Victorino, Robert Cannon, and Michael Salas, drove to the crime scene in a Ford Expedition. Wearing black clothing and face coverings, they approached the house, with Victorino forcibly entering. The group then proceeded to attack the victims with baseball bats, resulting in fatal injuries and stab wounds.
Cannon and Salas also were convicted and sentenced to life in prison.
The brutal massacre became known as the “Xbox murders” because the quartet of suspects was in search of a missing gaming console along with other items that apparently belonged to Victorino.
Victorino and Hunter showed no emotion when Nichols handed down the sentence, according to a courtroom report from the Daytona Beach News-Journal.
