Xbox Murderers Resentenced to Death in Volusia County

Jerone Hunter and Troy Victorino have been resentenced to death for their roles in the 2004 "Xbox murders" in Deltona, Florida, where six people and a dog were killed with baseball bats during a home invasion. Their original death sentences in 2006 were overturned after changes in state law required unanimous jury recommendations for death penalties, leading to a mistrial in 2023 before the recent sentencing. The killings stemmed from a dispute involving Victorino being evicted from the home and accused of theft of his Xbox gaming console, with Victorino and Hunter squatting on the property prior to the attack. A Volusia County jury recommended the death penalty in May 2025, and a judge has now formally imposed the sentences, which will undergo automatic review by the Florida Supreme Court. Two other individuals connected to the crime received life sentences. This case highlights recent legal reforms in Florida's capital punishment process under Governor Ron DeSantis, which have led to an increase in executions by lethal injection.