Death Sentence Upheld In 'Xbox Murders'
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TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami/NSF) - The Florida Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by a man sent to Death Row for his involvement in the 2004 murders of six people - a case that drew national attention and became known as the "Xbox murders."
Jerone Hunter, who was sentenced to death for four of the murders and received life sentences for the other two, argued in the appeal that he had ineffective legal representation in the case. But the Supreme Court unanimously upheld a circuit judge's decision that rejected Hunter's arguments.
Hunter, now 29, and three other men were accused of breaking into the home in Deltona in August 2004 and beating to death the victims with baseball bats.
The murders drew national attention, at least in part because of their gruesome nature and the number of victims.
Also, the case became known as the "Xbox murders" because it involved a dispute about some belongings of Hunter and convicted ringleader Troy Victorino, including an Xbox video-game system. Victorino also was sentenced to death, while two other men, Robert Cannon and Michael Salas, received life sentences.
The News Service of Florida contributed to this report.