Zephen Allen Xaver murdered Jessica Montague, Ana Piñon-Williams, Marisol Lopez, Cynthia Lee Watson, and Debra Cook. The victims are shown in screenshots from various sources. Jessica Montague is depicted in the top left inset, Ana Piñon-Williams in the bottom left inset, Marisol Lopez in the bottom middle inset, Cynthia Lee Watson in the top right inset, and Debra Cook in the bottom right inset. The images were sourced from WFLA/YouTube for the victims and WTSP/YouTube for the courtroom.
A Florida judge Monday sentenced a man who randomly murdered five people at a SunTrust bank to receive the ultimate punishment.
Circuit Judge Angela Cowden sentenced 27-year-old Zephen Allen Xaver to five death sentences with each count representing a victim in the 2019 mass shooting. She affirmed a jury’s 9-3 decision in June to impose the death penalty. The victims were: SunTrust employees Marisol Lopez, 55; Ana Piñon-Williams, 38; Jessica Montague, 31; and Debra Cook, 54, and customer Cynthia Lee Watson, 65. In Florida, a jury does not have to come to a unanimous conclusion to impose death.
Lopez’s daughter reportedly called Xaver a coward.
“You will always be a waste of human life,” she said, according to Tampa Fox affiliate WTVT.
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As Law&Crime previously reported, family members spoke to reporters after the jury recommended death.
“I’ll never be the person I was before my mother was murdered,” said April Nelson, the daughter of Cynthia Watson, according to Tampa’s NBC affiliate WFLA. “It is what the families wanted, and it doesn’t bring them back. It doesn’t make it any better, but it’s what he deserves, five times over.”
Blanca Piñon, Piñon-Williams’ sister, said her family will never fully heal, local Fox affiliate WTVT reported.
“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. She was the glue to our family. We will always have that missing piece.”
Marisol Lopez’s husband said he feels some closure.
