Mistrial in ‘Xbox murders’ resentencing
The resentencing trial for two of the convicted killers in the Deltona “Xbox Murders” has been declared a mistrial. Troy Victorino and Jerone Hunter returned to court on Tuesday, following a more-than two week stay. The proceedings were placed on pause due to a motion filed by the state in response to the judge’s decision to move forward with the old death penalty rules.
ORLANDO, Fla. – The jury selection process for the resentencing trial of the two convicted “Xbox murderers” is set to begin Monday.
What are the “Xbox murders”?
The backstory:
In 2004, Troy Victorino and Jerone Hunter, joined two other men in the killing of six roommates and a dog inside a Deltona, Florida home.
In 2008, Victorino, Hunter, and the two other men, Michael Salas, and Robert Cannon, were all convicted in what has been dubbed “the Xbox murders.”
Prosecutors argued that the motive behind the home invasion and brutal murders was to retrieve an Xbox claimed to have been stolen.
Salas and Cannon were sentenced to life in prison. Victorino, the ringleader, and Hunter were sentenced to death for the 2004 slayings.
Four men, including Troy Victorino and Jerone Hunter (pictured), were convicted of the grisly 2004 killings in Deltona, Florida, known as the “Xbox murders.”
Why has this case continued for so long?
What we know:
In 2017, Victorino and Hunter’s sentences were overturned due to a ruling by the Florida Supreme Court. The ruling changed state law, which now stated that Florida’s death penalty had to be unanimous. Victorino and Hunter’s sentences were not unanimous. The new law allowed anyone sentenced after a 2002 ruling eligible for a new sentence.
Then, in 2023, their initial resentencing trial was halted due to a motion requesting that the judge abide by the newest death penalty laws, signed into law by Gov. DeSantis, which stated all death penalties must be carried out with an 8-4 jury vote.
Mistrial declared in convicted killer’s case
A Florida judge issued a mistrial after it was discovered that a juror had talked about the case to a friend outside of the courtroom. The mistrial was declared in the re-sentencing trial for convicted murderer Bessman Okafor, the State Attorney’s Office confirmed. Okafor was convicted of killing 19-year-old Alex Zaldivar, who was scheduled to serve as a witness in Okafor’s home invasion trial in 2012.
Following that motion, the judge declared the resentencing a mistrial in May, 2023.
Resentencing trial to begin Monday:
What’s next:
Jury selection for Victorino and Hunter’s resentencing trial will begin Monday, April 21. The two will again face the decision of the court determining if they will serve life or head to death row.
Testimony will begin after the jury is seated.
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The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the Volusia County Court Communications Officer for the Seventh Judicial Circuit on April 15, 2025.
