A Florida judge has sentenced Zephen Allen Xaver to death for the brutal murder of five people at a SunTrust Bank in Sebring back in 2019. The decision comes after years of grief and anger for the victims’ families, who finally saw justice delivered.
On January 23, 2019, Xaver, who was just 21 at the time, walked into the bank armed with a 9-millimeter handgun and wearing body armor. Without any warning, he shot and killed four bank employees and one customer in cold blood. The victims were Marisol Lopez, 55; Ana Piñon-Williams, 38; Jessica Montague, 31; Debra Cook, 54; and Cynthia Lee Watson, 65.
After carrying out the horrifying attack, Xaver calmly called 911 himself and waited on the phone until police arrived. Authorities said he shot each victim execution-style, showing no mercy. A former bank employee, who was in the breakroom when the shooting began, managed to escape and call for help. Police negotiators tried to talk Xaver into surrendering, but when it became clear he wouldn’t cooperate, law enforcement stormed the building and arrested him.
At his sentencing, Judge Angela Cowden upheld a jury’s recommendation to impose the death penalty. Nine out of twelve jurors had voted for it earlier this year. In Florida, the jury doesn’t need to be unanimous to sentence someone to death.
During the trial, Prosecutor Bonde Johnson painted a chilling picture of Xaver’s actions. “He didn’t just kill one person to see what it was like—he killed five. He watched them lying on the floor, under his control, for his own enjoyment.” Johnson also read from some of Xaver’s disturbing writings, where he described being haunted every day by “blood, death, and murder.”
Xaver’s defense attorney, Jane McNeill, pleaded for a life sentence instead, saying he was mentally ill and “broken” due to brain damage. But the jury and the judge decided the severity of the crime deserved the ultimate punishment.
For the families of the victims, the sentence brought mixed emotions. Marisol Lopez’s daughter did not hold back her anger, calling Xaver “a coward” and “a waste of human life.”
April Nelson, whose mother Cynthia Watson was killed, spoke about the lasting pain. “I’ll never be the same person I was before my mother was murdered. It doesn’t bring them back, but it’s what he deserves.”
Blanca Piñon, the sister of Ana Piñon-Williams, shared how her family will never fully heal. “Ana was the glue to our family. We’ll always have that missing piece.”
Some family members, like Marisol Lopez’s husband, felt a small sense of closure. “It won’t bring her back, but at least I have some peace in my heart right now,” he said.
Jessica Montague’s husband described the experience as an emotional roller coaster. “It’s been so hard not knowing what would happen. Now, it feels like a weight has been lifted.”
Sebring, where the attack took place, is a small city about 85 miles southeast of Tampa. The shocking crime left the close-knit community reeling, and many will never forget the loss.
This case serves as a stark reminder of the devastating impact of such senseless violence. For the victims’ families, life will never be the same, but they hope this chapter brings some measure of peace.
