Zephen Xaver Sentenced to Death for Bank Murders

Zephen Xaver, a former prison guard trainee, has been sentenced to death for the execution-style murders of five women in a Florida bank in January 2019. Circuit Judge Angela Cowden emphasized the calculated nature of Xaver's actions, stating that the planning and enormity of the crime outweighed mitigating factors like his mental health issues. Xaver pleaded guilty to five counts of first-degree murder, and a jury's 9-3 recommendation led to his death sentence, facilitated by a recent law allowing such sentences with a simple majority vote. The victims included bank employees and a customer, all shot at gunpoint after being ordered to lie on the floor. Family members of the victims expressed their anguish in court, labeling Xaver a coward and waste of life. The case is expected to undergo automatic appeals as per legal protocol.