Florida DOC Failed to Investigate Background of Guard Convicted in Mass Shooting
On June 26, 2024, a Florida jury recommended the death penalty for former state prison guard Zephen Xaver, 27, who was convicted of the execution-style murders of five women at a Sebring bank in 2019. The slayings occurred just two weeks after Xaver resigned from the state Department of Corrections (DOC), where he worked at Avon Park Correctional facility for three months—raising questions about the prison system’s hiring process.
Investigators discovered that Xaver had enlisted in the U.S. Army but “separated” during basic training program because of “homicidal thoughts.” He failed to report any military service on his DOC application though, and no one checked. Xaver also did not undergo a polygraph, psychological exam or neighborhood check, all recommended by the state Department of Law Enforcement. Had DOC investigated Xaver’s background, it would have found a report to police from his Indiana high school principal that said Xaver dreamed about killing his classmates. A former girlfriend also warned that he “always hated people and wanted everybody to die.”
Xaver pleaded guilty to murder charges, avoiding a trial already delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. His victims included a bank customer, tellers and a trainee, aged 31 to 65. When he ordered them to lie on the bank floor before shooting each in the head, they cried out, “Why?”
His attorneys argued that he is mentally ill and never received adequate treatment despite seeking help. But jurors recommended killing him 9-3, after a recent statute lowered the threshold from a unanimous vote. His fate now rests with 10th Judicial Circuit Judge Angela Cowden, who could reject the recommendation and sentence Xaver to life without parole.
Sources: AP News, WFTS
As a digital subscriber to Prison Legal News, you can access full text and downloads for this and other premium content.
Already a subscriber? Login