The Volusia County Courthouse is set to openly commence the jury selection for the resentencing of Troy Victorino, 48, and Jerone Hunter, 38, on April 21. These two men are part of a group convicted for the "Xbox murders," a term that refers to the brutal 2004 Deltona slayings over a purportedly stolen game console. The case, notorious in Florida's criminal history, saw Victorino identified as the massacre's ringleader, with both he and Hunter initially sentenced to death.
Following a pivotal 2017 Florida Supreme Court ruling, Victorino and Hunter had their sentences overturned due to the non-unanimity of their death penalty verifications. The resentencing was initially meant to take place in 2023 but faced a mistrial amid legal wrangling over the state's death penalty law amendments. The new statute, which lowered the jury threshold for death penalty recommendations from unanimity to a minimum eight out of twelve, was signed into law on the same day the jury for the resentencing was sworn in, as news-journalonline reported.
According to WFTV, Judge Dawn Nichols is slated to preside over the upcoming court procedures, replacing Circuit Judge Randell Rowe III who previously managed the case before shifting to a civil docket. Nichols will oversee the process to determine whether Victorino and Hunter will receive life imprisonment without parole or be sent back to death row.
Deltona residents still vividly remember the killings. Victorino, Hunter, and accomplices Michael Salas and Robert Cannon were convicted of invading a Telford Lane home to violently murder six people and a dog, a heinous crime for which Salas and Cannon are already serving life sentences. Testimony is set to follow swiftly after the jury is completed, indicating the community's long wait for a final resolution may soon come to an end. FOX35 Orlando highlighted this next phase that aims to conclude the legal saga spanned over two decades.
In their original trials, Victorino and Hunter faced differing jury recommendations for each victim, which will likely to be re-examined during the resentencing, as jurors grapple to decisively apply the law to weigh heavy on such past verdicts. The looming court date marks another chapter in what has been a protracted legal battle, with the community and victim's families hoping for closure. The upcoming trial has been reported to be crucial for setting a precedent in how Florida handles death penalty cases following changes in the law.
