Zephen Xaver, the man responsible for a 2019 mass shooting at a bank in central Florida, is now facing a sentencing trial where 12 jurors will decide whether he will be sentenced to death or life without parole. Xaver pleaded guilty last year to five counts of first-degree murder for the massacre that took place at the SunTrust Bank in Sebring. The victims included Cynthia Watson, Marisol Lopez, Ana Pinon-Williams, Debra Cook, and Jessica Montague. The trial will only determine Xaver’s sentence, with opening statements expected in two weeks and the trial lasting approximately two months.
The husband of one of the victims, Michael Cook, expressed his hope that Xaver will receive the death penalty and his frustration over the years of delays in the trial. Lead prosecutor Paul Wallace and lead defense attorney Jane McNeill declined to comment on the case. Prosecutors are expected to argue for the death penalty due to the cold, cruel, heinous, and planned nature of the killings, while Xaver’s attorneys are likely to cite his long-standing mental health problems in seeking leniency. A new Florida law allows for a death penalty decision with a jury vote of 8-4 for execution, rather than a unanimous decision.
Sebring, the city where the shooting took place, is home to about 11,000 residents and is known for its annual endurance auto race. Xaver had moved there from near South Bend, Indiana in 2018. Despite prior red flags, including dreams of hurting classmates and disturbing text messages, Xaver was hired as a guard trainee at a prison near Sebring after being discharged from the Army in 2016. Two weeks before the shooting, he quit his job at the prison. On the day before the shooting, he legally purchased a handgun and bullet-resistant vest.
Leading up to the attack, Xaver had a conversation with a girlfriend in Connecticut expressing that it was the “best day” of his life, and later texted that he was “dying today.” He entered the bank, smiled, and then proceeded to shoot the victims after ordering them against a wall and then onto the floor face down. He called the police after the shooting, and surrendered to a SWAT team shortly after. A taped confession from Xaver will be played at the trial, along with security footage from the bank. The bank has since been torn down and a memorial to the victims now stands at the site.
The trial for Zephen Xaver’s sentencing has been delayed multiple times due to the pandemic, legal issues, and attorney illness. With jury selection set to begin, the families of the victims are hoping for closure and justice for their loved ones. The community of Sebring continues to mourn the loss of the five women who were senselessly killed in the tragic incident. Xaver’s mental health history and the circumstances leading up to the shooting will likely play a significant role in the trial as the jurors weigh the decision of life in prison or the death penalty for the perpetrator of this heinous crime.
