On April 20, 2023, 68-year-old Paul Black was found dead in his home on Ne Palm Drive in Palm Bay, Florida. His son discovered the body in the entryway of a bedroom. The scene revealed that Black had been brutally murdered; he was found on the ground lying on top of a TV, a cell phone, and a loaded magazine with .380 caliber ammunition. A large cut was observed on his neck, and a large kitchen knife was found near his body.
Additionally, his hands were tied and bound with a USB cable cord, and his home appeared to have been ransacked.
The investigation led detectives to identify Justin Giambanco as the suspect. The cell phone found underneath Black's body belonged to Giambanco, which was a crucial piece of evidence. Further searches of Giambanco's vehicle uncovered items belonging to the victim, including Black's prescription bottle, his deceased mother's passport, and a hard drive labeled with blue painter tape, similar to other hard drives found at the victim's home. A .380 caliber handgun and bloody sneakers were also discovered in the vehicle.
Giambanco, who has a lengthy criminal history with 22 felonies, was arrested on charges of second-degree murder, false imprisonment, grand theft of a firearm, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. However, he was later indicted by a grand jury on a first-degree murder charge, along with charges of armed burglary of a dwelling, false imprisonment, grand theft firearm, and petit theft. At the time of his arrest, Giambanco was already in custody for unrelated charges and was being held in Brevard County Jail without bond.
It is noted that Black’s son did not believe that Black and Giambanco knew each other, and police described Giambanco as a violent repeat offender who preyed on Brevard County residents even while out on bond for other crimes.
