DELTONA, Fla. – A resentencing trial of two men convicted in the so-called Xbox murders, the deadliest mass murder in Volusia County’s history, is underway with more testimony.
A jury was seated last week in the resentencing of Troy Victorino and Jerone Hunter, who were convicted in the murders of six people in a Deltona home in a case that drew national attention.
[Video below covers opening statements in Xbox resentencing]
Prosecutors opened their case Monday against Hunter and Victorino with the argument that the death penalty should be their penalty.
“No matter how detailed I am, no matter what vocabulary I use, my words will not adequately describe what you’ll see and hear,” prosecutor Andy Urbanek said in his opening statement.
On Tuesday, prosecutors illustrated the events of that fatal day in 2004 with testimony from the other men involved.
Out of the four men convicted of the murders, Victorino and Hunter were the only two sentenced to death. Michael Salas, whose testimony was read, was found guilty of murder, while another co-defendant, Robert Cannon, pleaded guilty. Both are serving life sentences in prison.
Prosecutors argued Victorino, who was squatting in a victim’s home, wanted his XBOX back, leading to the tragedy. As the state plans to rest its case Wednesday, the defense awaiting their turn to argue against a death sentence.
Victorino and Hunter were convicted of breaking into a Deltona home and beating six people to death with baseball bats and stabbing them in 2004.
It’s been called the “Xbox murders” because it involved a dispute about some of Victorino’s belongings, including an Xbox system. Prosecutors said Victorino and Hunter were living in one of the victim’s grandmother’s houses before getting kicked out, but left items behind.
“They believed that Erin had their personal belongings, and they intended on getting them back no matter what the cost of doing so. The cost ended up being six human lives,” Urbanek argued.
Prosecutors brought several witnesses to the stand.
Brandon Graham, a friend of the defendants, testified that there were a few other confrontations between Victorino and Hunter and those living in the home before the brutal slayings.
Graham was there when Victorino started planning the attack.
“He wanted us to move through the household at which point in time Mr. Hunter asked about wearing masks and he stated we weren’t going to need any masks because we were going to leave no witnesses and leave no evidence,” Graham said.
Despite being asked by Victorino and Hunter to join them and two other men, he said he decided to ditch them and later heard what happened.
“That’s when it struck me that they did it,” he said.
Four men were ultimately charged with the murders, but Victorino and Hunter were the only two sentenced to death. Both of their defense teams decided to hold off their opening statements until the state is done with their case.
Jury selection had started in April 2023 in the resentencing of Victorino and Hunter when Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a new death-penalty law, which eliminated a requirement for unanimous jury recommendations before defendants could be sentenced to death. Under the law, death sentences can be imposed after 8-4 jury recommendations.
[Watch video below for previous coverage of the case]
