Florida Man Sentenced to Death for 2019 Execution-Style Killings of Five Women in Bank

Zephen Xaver, a former prison guard trainee, was sentenced after pleading guilty to the premeditated murders, with the judge citing the heinous nature of the crime.

• Zephen Xaver, 27, pleaded guilty to killing five women execution-style at a SunTrust bank in Sebring, Florida, in January 2019.
• The judge described the murders as calculated and cruel, stating that aggravating factors outweighed mitigating circumstances such as Xaver's mental health issues and brain tumor.
• Xaver had texted a former girlfriend shortly before the killings, expressing his intent to kill and stating it would be 'the best day of his life.'
• Victims’ families delivered emotional impact statements, with several expressing anger and grief over the loss of their loved ones.
• Under Florida law, Xaver's death sentence will be automatically appealed, following a jury's 9-3 recommendation for execution earlier this year.

3 Articles

The Independent New York Daily News Associated Press