Florida jurors on Wednesday recommended the death penalty for the former prison guard trainee who gunned down five women in a Sebring bank in 2019 because he “always wanted to kill people.”
The jury voted 9 to 3 in favor of execution for Zephen Xaver, WFLA reported. Because Florida legislators were angry that Parkland high school shooter Nikolas Cruz was not sentenced to death, they passed a law allowing the death penalty if eight members of a jury vote in favor instead of a unanimous vote.
Circuit Judge Angela Cowden has the final say in the verdict. She said she will set a sentencing date for mid July.
Xaver pleaded guilty earlier this month to the murders of Cynthia Watson, 65; Marisol Lopez, 55; Ana Piñon-Williams, 38; Debra Cook, 54; and Jessica Montague, 31, on January 23, 2019, as CrimeOnline reported.
Before the murders, he texted a girlfriend in another state that he was “dying today” and “taking a few people with me because I’ve always wanted to kill people so I am going to try it and see how it goes.” After the murders, apparently having changed his mind about “dying today,” he called 911 and admitted what he’d done.
After a two-hour standoff, officers moved in and took the murderer into custody.
Closing arguments came Wednesday morning before the jury went back for a quick deliberation, WFLA reported. Prosecutor Bonde Johnson told the jurors the state had proved the aggravating factors that would lead to death.
“He didn’t murder one person to truly know what it would be like to kill. He killed five,” Johnson said.
Jane McNeill, Xaver’s defense attorney told the jurors Xaver is a “broken,” “mentally ill” and “brain damaged” person.
“We ask you to show Zephen what he may least deserve: compassion, grace and mercy,” she said.
Family members of the five dead women spoke after the verdict and said they were pleased but that they’d rather have their loved ones back.
“I feel like we are now one step closer to closing this chapter but of course, we will never be able to completely heal because Ana was a huge part of our lives and she was the glue to our family,” Blanca Piñon, victim Ana Piñon-Williams’ sister, said.
“All the plans I had with her are already gone,” Victor Lopez, husband of Marisol Lopez, said. “That future is gone.”
