Robert Cannon and the 2004 Deltona “Xbox Murders”
Overview
On August 6, 2004, four men—Troy Victorino, Jerone Hunter, Robert Cannon, and Michael Salas—invaded a home at 3106 Telford Lane in Deltona, Florida, and brutally murdered six people inside. The crime, often called the “Deltona massacre” or the “Xbox murders,” was driven by Victorino’s desire for revenge after being evicted from a relative’s house of one of the victims and over property he claimed was taken, including an Xbox console. The attackers used baseball bats and a machete; a pet dachshund was also killed.
The Crime
According to trial records summarized in public reports, the group forced their way into the Telford Lane home shortly after midnight. Inside, the victims were beaten and stabbed in multiple rooms. Specific acts detailed at trial included the stabbing of Jonathan Gleason, the beating of Francisco “Flaco” Ayo-Román with an aluminum bat, the bludgeoning and stabbing of Anthony Vega, and the bludgeoning and stabbing of Michelle Ann Nathan after she was discovered hiding in a closet. Erin Belanger was beaten to death; the ringleader then desecrated her body. Roberto “Tito” González was also beaten and stabbed. The assault left blood evidence throughout the residence.
Arrest and Prosecution
All four suspects were arrested within days and charged with first-degree murder and armed burglary. Public accounts note that Cannon, then 18, appeared in court on August 9, 2004, alongside the other defendants.
In August 2006, after a month-long trial moved to St. Augustine, a jury found the four guilty. The judge imposed death sentences on Victorino and Hunter, while Cannon (who pleaded guilty) and Salas received life without parole.
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