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Deltona Xbox murders: Jury recommends death for Troy Victorino, Jerone Hunter

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Updated  May 7, 2025 8:27pm EDT
Florida
FOX 35 Orlando

Xbox murders: Jury recommends death for Victorino, Hunter

The jury has reached a verdict in the resentencing trials of Troy Victorino and Jerone Hunter, who were both convicted of first-degree murder in the 2004 grisly killings of six people and a dog at a Deltona home.

DELTONA, Fla. - The jury has reached a verdict in the resentencing trials of Troy Victorino and Jerone Hunter, who were both convicted of first-degree murder in the 2004 grisly killings of six people and a dog at a Deltona home.

On Wednesday, a jury overwhelmingly recommended that Victorino and Hunter be sentenced to death in the 2004 murders of Erin Belanger, 22; Jonathan Gleason, 17;  Roberto Gonzalez, 28; Francisco Roman, 30; Michelle Nathan, 19;  and Anthony Vega, 34. 

The backstory:

The cases were known as the "Xbox murders" after law enforcement and prosecutors alleged that the motive behind the home invasion and subsequent killings was over an Xbox gaming console believed to have been stolen.

Police described the killings as grisly, alleging that all six people were brutally beaten with bats and stabbed with a knife. A dog was also killed.

Victorino and Hunter were sentenced to death in 2006. Michael Salas and Robert Cannon were sentenced to life in prison.

Xbox murders: Jury recommends death | Verdict read

The jury has reached a verdict in the resentencing trials of Troy Victorino and Jerone Hunter, who were both convicted of first-degree murder in the 2004 killings of six people and a dog at a Deltona home. The cases were known as the "Xbox murders" after law enforcement and prosecutors alleged that the motive behind the home invasion and subsequent killings was over an Xbox gaming console believed to have been stolen.

In 2018, Victorino's and Hunter's deaths sentences were nullified after Florida courts ruled that a jury had to be unanimous in its recommendation.

A resentencing trial began in 2023, but that same day, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a law, which allowed a jury to recommend a death penalty by an 8-4 vote, not unanimously. That caused an unexpected pause, which ultimately resulted in a mistrial.

A new resentencing trial started in April 2024 and ended May 5 with a non-unanimous jury again recommending the death penalty.

What's next:

While the jury recommended a death sentence, the judge ultimately gets the final decision. A date for the sentencing hearing was not immediately announced.

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