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Peyton Moreland (14:14)

So good, so good, so good.

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Peyton Moreland (14:42)

Okay, to recap, Troy had never even met Aaron before. He only knew about the empty house because of their mutual friend. Now, after Troy got evicted, Aaron, he reached out to that friend to say, hey, they kicked me out and I've lost all my stuff. He needed to get it back and he didn't know who to talk to. So the friend gave him Aaron's name and address. And then that same evening, just hours after Troy was kicked out of the house, he allegedly showed up at Aaron's home. Now, it's hard to say for sure because witness statements were contradictory. I do know Aaron was at home with her roommates and everyone agreed that several people showed up at their front door. But it is hard to say how many were there and if Troy was even with them. The point is, is that as soon as Aaron answered the door, the new arrivals were like, hey, we need Troy's stuff back again. I don't know if Troy's with them and Aaron has no idea what they're talking about. It took some back and forth, but eventually she realized, oh, Troy's the squatter and he wants the things that he left in my grandparents home. And she's like, hey, I don't have the stuff anymore. Like as soon as police got there, I handled it. She explained she'd thrown a lot of it out, even given some things away. And this made the people who were here for Troy or Troy very angry. They told her that she'd had no right to get rid of Troy's stuff and they weren't gonna leave until they got it back. Now eventually Aaron calls the police and is like, help. Before the officers could arrive, the people at the front step left. They didn't want to get into any legal trouble. But very late that same night they come back. Okay, they pounded on Aaron's front door and rang the doorbell demanding that she come out. Now of course Aaron doesn't answer. She stays inside where it's Safe and she calls 911 again. And once more the people at the door leave before anyone can get arrested. But I think it's safe to say this was not over for Troy. The next day he actually went back to the grandparents house for himself. He tries to get inside, peer through the windows, see if his stuff is still there. But of course the garage had been cleaned out. And that's when Troy calls the police to complain. Okay, this is a mess. Calls the police. Now he tells the officer someone had broken into his home and stolen his things. Which of course isn't true. The good news was that as soon as the detective looked up the address Troy gave, they saw the report on what happened the day before. They were like, okay, are you the owner of the home? He admits he isn't. He'd just been living there and he wanted his clothes and his other things back. The police are like, yeah, we can't help you. This is not your home. They had the right to get rid of this stuff. They explained, you know, this isn't, there's no crime been committed. Nobody has stolen your stuff. It was left behind. And this is when Troy literally tells the officer on this 911 call, don't worry, I'll take care of it myself. And then he hung up. And just like he said he'd do, Troy really did decide to take care of the matter for himself. He had to get his property back by any means necessary. And he wanted to punish Aaron for calling the police on him in the first place, getting him kicked out of her grandparents house and then getting rid of his stuff. So on August 4th, Troy reached out to three friends of his. Their names were Jaron Hunter, Michael Salas and Robert Cannon. Troy told his three friends the same thing he had told the police. You know, Aaron stole from me. And unlike the police, they were like, yeah, this is bad. Aaron was definitely in the wrong. She had disrespected Troy and she needed to be taught a lesson. You can't just take people's things. So they all agreed to go to the Deltona house for revenge. This is Aaron's home. They spent the next Two days planning this attack, okay? It was modeled on a movie that Troy had seen recently called Wonderland. Now, in this film, a group of home invaders broke into a house and beat the people living there with aluminum bats. Troy wanted to do something similar to Aaron and the people that lived in her home. He also told everyone exactly how all of the rooms in Aaron's house were laid out. Presumably, someone had gotten a look at this during one of the earlier visits. And he knew the house was big and there were a lot of places to hide. So he suggested, all of us are going to split up once we get inside. These are four. Four men, okay? He says that way they could cover more ground, make sure nobody got away. Troy told everyone to bring a clean set of clothes with them so they could change if they did get blood on themselves. They're attacking everyone in this home, okay? Not just Aaron. Jaren wanted a face mask. He wanted to hide his identity. But Troy was like, you're not going to need to. According to him beforehand, he tells his friends, there are not going to be any living witnesses by the time we leave this house. And then finally, on the evening of August 6th, just one week after Troy's eviction, him and his friends put their plan into action. They started by driving to a Walmart, and each man bought an aluminum bat there. Then they drove to the Deltona house and parked out front. At this point, it was about one in the morning and the home was packed. That night, Erin was there with her three roommates, including her boyfriend Francisco. She also lived with a friend from work named Michelle and Nathan, who was just 19 years old. And finally, the fourth person was Michelle's boyfriend, Anthony Vega. Now, on top of that, there were two house guests staying over for the night. Their names were Jonathan Gleason and Roberto Gonzalez, who went by Tito. I know I just threw a lot of names at you, but we have Aaron and Michelle, the two girls, their two boyfriends at the house with them, and then two other friends, so six people total. And the two other friends, Anthony and Roberto, who went by Tito, worked with Aaron and Michelle at a local Burger King. Okay? So six people, two girls, two boyfriends, two coworkers, and then we have four men coming to attack the six people in this house. Okay? Now, both of the friends were scheduled to be on the opening shift in the morning, meaning they had to wake up very early. And they were staying at Aaron's house because it was close to work, the commute was shorter, they could get a little bit more sleep. These are the two co worker friends. Six people in this house, feeling safe and secure. Everyone was in bed. Some were asleep. Others were trying to fall asleep. But then, in the middle of this night, Troy, the squatter, kicked the front door open. He and his friends tried to be quiet so as not to wake any of their victims or give them a chance to escape. So instead, they went straight toward the kitchen. There, each of them grabbed a knife, and finally they spread out. Now, even though they were trying to be quiet, they kicked the door open. Michelle heard it. This is the roommate. And she instinctively knew she was in danger. So she had immediately ducked into her closet and. And pulled the door closed, hoping the attackers wouldn't find her. And for extra camouflage, she'd actually thrown some dirty clothes on top of her. That way, if someone did look in the closet, they wouldn't realize she was inside. But while she's hiding in this closet, okay. She hears horrifying sounds as the men start finding their victims. Screams, beatings. She realizes while hiding in this closet that there were people intruding on her home and beating her friends. I mean, this is straight out of a scary movie, but this is a real life story, you guys. Michelle is hiding in her closet. And then, to her horror, the closet door swung open in the middle of this attack, and it was Jiren. He had his bat in one hand and a knife in the other. He saw right through her hiding place. He tosses the dirty clothes aside, exposing her. And while Michelle screamed for help, Jarin alternated between stabbing and beating her. And by the time he was done, Michelle was dead. Her remains were so badly bruised and beaten, she'd later have to be identified by her tattoos. From there, Jaron went into Anthony's bedroom. Now, even though Anthony and Michelle were dating, he's one of the boyfriends. They had separate rooms with separate beds at their house. And sadly, Jaron found Anthony and killed him, too. And in the meantime, Troy had crept into Aaron's room. She was in bed with her boyfriend, Francisco. But as soon as Troy opened the door, her dog George began barking and trying to protect Aaron. Unfortunately, he was a tiny dog, and Troy was a big man. So animal cruelty. He kills George, okay, just immediately. And then turns toward the couple. He murdered Francisco quickly, but he takes his time with Aaron. She's the whole reason he's here. He beat her with a bat. He stabbed her. He slit her throat. But even once Aaron was done breathing, he wasn't finished with her. He wanted to humiliate her. So he sexually assaulted and mutilated her body before leaving her room. And finally, before they went home, Jaron and Troy murdered the two other guests that weren't roommates. The co workers, Tito and Jonathan. And by the time they were done, just like they had planned, nobody in this house was left alive. So Troy, Jaron, Michael, and Robert thought that they had committed a perfect murder. They had gotten their revenge on Aaron, which was the sole purpose. They even came up with this plan. And they had eliminated all of the witnesses. But Troy and his friends didn't realize that the clock was already ticking for them. Remember Aaron's house guests, Anthony and Tito? They were supposed to work an early shift at Burger King that morning. So when the both of them didn't show up for work, their manager found it very strange. And they called around to see if anyone knew where they were, if they were maybe sick, had they been in a car accident on the way to work. And eventually, the manager spoke to someone who was friends with Anthony, Tito and Aaron. And the friends knew? No. The two men were actually just staying at Aaron's house. Remember, all of these people work at Burger King. So the manager goes to Aaron's house to check in on his two employees that didn't show up for work. And when he arrived, he found the front door unlocked. Nobody came when he knocked or rang the doorbell. So he just let himself inside. And this is when he sees the horrifying crime scene. Okay, there is blood everywhere. Red splatters coated the walls, the floors. It was smeared across every single room of the house. Not that the friend spent a lot of time searching. The moment he saw the blood, he left because he's too afraid to look any further. You have to remember, these people were beaten to death and stabbed to death. Now, once the manager was outside, he called the police. The friend admitted that he hadn't seen any bodies. He just know. He knew something bad had happened. But he was completely convinced at least one person was dead inside the house.

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Peyton Moreland (26:36)

Even at the last minute. Phew.

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Peyton Moreland (27:05)

So a few officers responded, came to investigate, and as soon as they got in there, they were stunned by the brutality of this crime scene, particularly when they found Aaron's body. She had been the primary target, the main person Troy wanted to hurt, and he had beaten her worse than anyone. Police couldn't even identify her from dental records. You guys. Her teeth had been smashed beyond recognition. One officer from the sheriff's office said, this is the worst thing I've seen in my career. The brutal force used against the victims, it's indescribable. This is horrible. No one. No one should ever be taken this way. The good news was that once the bodies were found, the investigation moved quickly. After all, the police knew that Troy had been evicted one week before the murders. They knew he'd apparently come to the Deltona house multiple times in the past week. Aaron had called the police twice, and then he had called the station to complain about his missing clothes and his Xbox mere days before the murder. On top of that, the officers collected blood samples and DNA at the scene of the crime. They knew it would take a while for the lab to run tests and confirm who they'd come from, but the detectives obviously had strong suspicions that at least some of it would match Troy. They also found bloody footprints in the house, which clearly hadn't been left by Aaron or the other victims. So, once again, the police collected all of the samples while assuming that they'd later be able to prove Troy had left them. And more importantly, the police got a tip involving one of Troy's ex girlfriends. Now, I don't know the woman's name, but I do know she lived in an apartment complex that had a big artificial pond near it. And a search team found an aluminum bat coated in blood near the pond, thanks to Troy's ex girlfriend. It was one of the murder weapons. Clearly, one of the killers had dumped it there. Police divers retrieved the other three bats from the pond itself. This is obviously when they realized how many accomplices Troy actually had. Four bats meant probably four killers. So now that they had DNA evidence, boot prints and fingerprints and the bats, they also knew that Troy had broken his parole earlier that month. Remember, he had punched A man in July. And while the police had been willing to look the other way back then, they could move forward now. Even though they still couldn't prove that Troy had killed Aaron, they had enough evidence to at least arrest him for the parole violation. So they brought him into the station on that same day, August 7th. And in the process, they noted that at the station, Troy literally showed up with blood on his boots. They were also the exact same size and shape as some of the prints left at the Deltona house. So the case against Troy was coming together. But during his interrogation, Troy claims to police he had nothing to do with the murders. According to him, he'd vented to Jaren, Michael and Robert, his other three friends, and about his missing clothes and Xbox. And they were such good friends and loved him so much that they decided to take matters into their own hands on his behalf. Basically, he said, yeah, I'm the reason the murders happen, but I wasn't there. Jiren, Michael and Robert, my other three friends, they're the murderers. He was innocent. Well, based on his statement, the police decided to also interrogate Troy's three friends because he basically just gave up the other three accomplices. In a matter of hours, all four men are in custody. But interestingly, they told very different stories during their interrogations. Jaren's statement basically matched Troy's. He said that he had committed the murders, but Troy hadn't. Last time, he claims he'd seen Troy. They'd been together at Walmart. Jaron had bought the aluminum bat and then left. But according to Jaren, Troy had stayed behind at the store. Eventually, though, he changes his story and admits, no, Troy was with us. And on top of that, Michael and Robert both said Troy was the ring leader. He had planned this entire thing. The whole reason we were there was for vengeance on his behalf. He was the one who had beaten and stabbed Aaron and done terrible things to her remains afterward. Now, Robert and Michael claim that they were there, but they didn't actually hurt anyone. In fact, they claimed that they'd never even wanted to do anything with this crime. They said they only went along with it because they were afraid of what Troy would do to them. They basically say, no, Troy and Jaren did all of the murders. Now, of course, police are like, why did all four of you go then? After all, if Robert and Michael really didn't want to hurt anyone, they could have called 91 1. Why did they buy bats? In fact, there was one other person who knew about the murders in advance, so there Was one other guy. It was actually a friend of Troy's named Brandon Graham. Now, before this massacre, Troy asked Brandon if he wanted to join the four men on the spree, and he had said no. Troy didn't hurt Brandon or punish him for his answer. He just accepted it. So all four men know about this. So if Michael and Robert and even Jaren didn't want to participate, they could have refused because another friend refused and nothing happened. They chose not to. Seemed obvious that all four were complicit in the crime, Even if Troy and Jaron really were the ones who actually killed everyone. Now, all four men were charged with six counts of first degree murder, one for each victim. And on top of that, each faced six counts of abuse of a dead human body with a weapon. They didn't specify who had done what. They just charged all of them, plus one count of armed robbery, cruelty to animals, conspiracy to commit murder. And the list went on. In total, each suspect received 15 charges. Three of them went on trial together, but not Robert, who pleaded guilty from the start. For the rest of them, the hearing began in 2006, two years after the massacre. At this trial, all three men who are pleading not guilty basically point the finger at each other or say Troy was the ringleader. And this includes Robert, who actually testifies as a witness at his friend's trials. Ultimately, the jury found all of the defendants guilty. Michael and Robert were both sentenced to life in prison, and Troy and Jaron received the death sentence. Except there were some complicated issues with the ruling. A majority of the jurors wanted the death penalty, but not all of them. And in 2018, the state of Florida passed a new law. It said that jury decisions needed to be unanimous if they're voting for the death penalty, not just majority. And since Troy and Jaron's sentences were not, their rulings didn't hold up in line with this law. So in 2023, Troy and Jaron got a new sentencing hearing. It wasn't a redo of the whole trial. The guilty verdict still stood. The only question was over whether they would still have to sit on death row or if they would get resentenced to life in prison. Now, once again, the majority of the jury voted for the death penalty, but not everyone. Ultimately. Of the 12 jurors, 11 thought that Jaren should be executed, while 10 thought Troy should be executed. So in theory, that meant the two men should have been sentenced to life. That's what the law said. But on the exact same day that the ruling came down, the Governor of Florida signed a new bill into law. This one said that a 2/3 majority was necessary for a death penalty. Didn't have to be unanimous after all. So as long as eight jurors voted for it, the person could be executed. I know it's confusing. Why is the law constantly changing? Point is that because of the timing, this sentence was also overturned. So a new hearing came in 2025, and this time the death penalty held. A majority of jurors ruled that both men, Troy and Jaren, should be executed. Now, as of this recording, they still haven't been officially sentenced to death. The jury voted, but a judge still has to approve it. And so far, we don't have a date for when that ruling will come down. So only time will tell what their sentence will be and if it'll stand. Now, of course, the death penalty is controversial. I'm sure there are some people who believe justice has been served and Troy and Jaren deserve to die. And there are others who are unhappy with this resolution. But as I wrap up, I want to turn the attention away from the verdict in the sentence. I just want to get back to the victims. Michelle, Francisco, Jonathan, Tito, Anthony, and Aaron. The six people who were brutally terrorized and murdered. Every murder case is automatically a tragedy, but this one in particular is haunting. To me, it's senseless. Six people died over an Xbox and some clothes, and four people agreed to do this. Their loved ones struggled to understand how something like this could happen. This case has, like, gutted me. I don't. The brutality, the terror that everyone in that house must have went through in their final moments. And for what? Like, sometimes in cases, I try to, you know, go down this spiral of reasoning and mental health, not excuses, but, like, how could we get here? Where did we get here? How? Why? When? Is there something psychologically that I can try to grasp onto? But in this case, it just feels like pure evil. Bad people. Just bad people doing bad things to innocent people who did nothing. I hate it. Like, I can't stand it. This is the. This is just the epitome of the ugliness of true crime and the ugliness of humanity. Yet case after case like this just happens. It seems to me like the more people involved in a crime, the more horrendous it gets. Almost like there's this psychology behind, like, group crime where if one person's doing it, it makes okay, and it just gets worse and worse and worse and worse. You know that study they did where they, like, split people in half and made Half prisoners and half the guards of the prisoners, just to see, like, what people in power would do. And by the end of the study, these completely random strangers were physically hurting the prisoners because they had power. And it was a study about the abuse of power and how if you give a human brain power, it will abuse it, especially in gang mentality. And every time I come across a crime that has multiple members who are committing the crime, it just seems like this nasty group mentality where you would think human behavior, like, how can you find humans who can all do this together? And there's something about it. There's something about this, about people bringing out the worst in each other. And I think that that genuinely is what happened in this case. How could four people agree to do this to six innocent people? It's the ugly side of humanity. But I guess that is what we cover here on into the Dark. Please keep the victims of this case in your thoughts today. Keep their families in your thoughts today. And remember that despite the ugliness in this world, you can be a light in your own world. You can be good, you can feel good, and you can spread good. All right, you guys, that is our episode today on into the Dark. And I will see you next time with another one. Goodbye.

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Peyton Moreland (39:22)

Uh, limu is that guy with the binoculars watching us.

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Peyton Moreland (39:29)

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