Demorris Hunter: The Two-State Killer
Overview
Demorris Andy Hunter is a convicted serial killer whose violent crimes spanned nearly two decades and crossed state lines from California to Florida. His criminal history began in 1985 with a killing and other violent assaults in his native Oakland, California. After serving a portion of his sentence, he was paroled, only to kill again seventeen years later. In 2002, he murdered a woman in Oakland and fled to Orlando, Florida, where he killed another woman just two months later. Those who knew Hunter described him as a nice, respectable man who was always laughing, a stark contrast to the cold-blooded violence he committed. His ability to hide his murderous past allowed him to evade capture for a year, becoming a featured fugitive on "America's Most Wanted." Hunter was eventually apprehended and faced separate legal battles in two states, resulting in a life sentence in California and a death sentence in Florida.
Early Life and First Crimes
Demorris Andy Hunter was born on April 18, 1966, in Oakland, California. Little is publicly known about his upbringing. His descent into extreme violence began when he was just 18 years old. In January 1985, Hunter shot and killed 18-year-old Cesar Guzman on the streets of Oakland.
The violence did not stop there. The following month, Hunter was involved in two more separate shootings. He shot a man named Eric Wright, who was left a paraplegic and ultimately died from his injuries in 1986. He also shot another man, Adolphus Williams, with a sawed-off shotgun; Williams survived the attack. For this string of violent crimes, which included the death of Guzman and the shooting of Wright and Williams, Hunter was arrested. He eventually accepted a plea agreement and was sentenced to 24 years in prison. He served his time at Folsom State Prison. After 13 years, in November 1997, Demorris Hunter was granted parole and released.
The Murder of Ivora Huntley
For five years after his release, Hunter's life did not attract the attention of law enforcement. That changed on March 29, 2002, in Oakland. Hunter was involved in a domestic dispute and was assaulting his girlfriend when 41-year-old Ivora "Ivory" Huntley intervened, trying to protect her friend. Hunter, angered by the intervention, turned his rage on Huntley.
Witnesses reported that when Huntley told Hunter she was going to call the police, he aimed a gun at her chin and fired. As she fell to the ground, he shot her a second time in the neck. An autopsy later revealed the first bullet had severed her spinal cord, and the second had cut through a major artery. Witnesses saw Hunter flee the scene at 1659 85th Avenue, and he immediately became a wanted man. The Oakland police issued a warrant for his arrest for the murder of Ivora Huntley.
The Murder of Theresa Green
Now a fugitive, Hunter fled California and made his way across the country to Orlando, Florida. He settled in the College Park neighborhood, using the alias Michael Berry. He found an apartment and, through mutual friends, became acquainted with his 38-year-old neighbor, Theresa Ann Green. Green was a hospital secretary and lived with her teenage son.
On the night of May 25, 2002, Hunter attended a party at Green's apartment. In the early hours of May 26, as the party ended, Hunter and Green were seen leaving together. Witnesses saw them both tumble down a flight of stairs. Though neither appeared seriously injured, an argument erupted between them. The two then went into Green's apartment.
What happened next was pieced together by investigators. After the argument, Hunter strangled Theresa Green to death. He then wrapped her body in a sheet and placed it in the trunk of her own car. A few hours later, Hunter approached a neighbor from the party and asked for a favor. He gave the neighbor keys to a white van and asked him to follow as he drove Green's car to a Walgreens pharmacy in the nearby city of Sanford. Hunter parked the car, got into the van with the neighbor, and allegedly said, "I did something really bad." He then drove the van to Texas, where he later abandoned and burned it in a Houston parking lot.
The Victims
Demorris Hunter was convicted of murdering three people over a 17-year period.
- Cesar Guzman, 18 — In January 1985, in Oakland, Hunter, also 18 at the time, shot and killed Guzman. Few details about Cesar's life are publicly available.
- Ivora Denise Huntley, 41 — On March 29, 2002, in Oakland, Ivora, known to friends and family as "Ivory," was shot and killed when she heroically tried to stop Hunter from beating his girlfriend. Her obituary described her as someone who would be "very missed from all of us."
- Theresa Ann Green, 38 — On May 26, 2002, in Orlando, Theresa, a hospital secretary in the labor and delivery department and a mother, was strangled by Hunter after a party. Her son, who was 13 at the time, later provided a heartbreaking victim impact statement, saying, "I was robbed of my mother's presence, her support, and her irreplaceable love... Every milestone I have reached since then has been bittersweet, marked by the hollowed space where she should have been standing.”
Investigation and Capture
After Theresa Green was reported missing on May 27, 2002, her car was located in the Walgreens parking lot in Sanford. Police opened the trunk and discovered her body. An autopsy confirmed she had been manually strangled. The investigation quickly pointed to her new neighbor, the man they knew as Michael Berry. Detectives learned he had recently arrived from Oakland, where he was wanted for the murder of Ivora Huntley.
With Hunter now wanted for two murders in two states, a nationwide manhunt began. In June 2002, a federal arrest warrant was issued, charging him with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. His case gained national attention when he was featured on the popular television show "America's Most Wanted."
The manhunt came to an end on February 23, 2003. Acting on a tip, a team of FBI agents, Houston police officers, and Harris County sheriff's deputies located Hunter at a house in southeast Houston, Texas. He attempted to flee but was quickly apprehended by a K-9 officer and taken into custody without further incident.
Trial and Sentence: California
Following his capture, Hunter was extradited to California to face charges for the murder of Ivora Huntley. During his trial in Alameda County, Deputy District Attorney John Brouhard described the killing as brutal and cold-blooded, highlighting Hunter's "shocking criminal history."
On March 22, 2005, an Oakland jury found Demorris Hunter guilty of the murder of Ivora Huntley. On May 6, 2005, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Julie Conger sentenced him to 110 years to life in prison. He was incarcerated at Salinas Valley State Prison.
Trial and Sentence: Florida
While Hunter served his sentence in California, Florida authorities worked to bring him to justice for the murder of Theresa Green. In 2015, ten years after his California conviction, Hunter was extradited to Orange County, Florida. His trial faced numerous delays due to procedural issues and the COVID-19 pandemic.
The trial finally commenced in April 2026. Prosecutors detailed the events of the night of Green's murder, presenting evidence that Hunter had strangled her and disposed of her body. They also introduced his prior convictions in California to establish his history of violence. On April 8, 2026, after a three-day trial, the jury found him guilty of first-degree murder.
During the penalty phase, the jury heard arguments for and against the death penalty. On April 13, 2026, they unanimously recommended that Hunter be sentenced to death. On August 4, 2026, Chief Judge Lisa Munyon formally sentenced Demorris Hunter to death. In her sentencing, Judge Munyon told Hunter he had "forfeited your right to live." Hunter maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings.
Aftermath and Legacy
Demorris Hunter's case highlights the failures of the justice system that allowed a violent offender back on the streets to kill again. The mother of one of his victims expressed anguish that her daughter might still be alive if Hunter had served his full sentence for his 1985 crimes. His ability to maintain a friendly, non-threatening facade while committing brutal acts of violence serves as a chilling reminder of the hidden nature of some of society's most dangerous predators. He currently resides on death row at the Union Correctional Institution in Florida, having left a trail of devastation and grief that spans the country.
