Jim before I play devils advocate on your Blog entry, first want to say this was a terrible tragedy for all the families involved, but especially tragic for the victims and their families. My heart goes out to every one of them and I pray that hearts can heal after dealing with this terrible crime committed upon them.

Now speaking of 29-year-old Troy Victorino only, I think maybe we need to look further into his story and ask why someone would take such a violent action over a gaming device. Again, I’m not defending his actions but rather think we need to look deeper at all the facts of his life and the Florida prison system before we take the good Lord’s work into our own hands and sentence this man to death. Furthermore, I’m not saying I’m for or against the death penalty but rather as a civilized society maybe we should be asking how this could of happened and if theirs anything we could of done to stopped this kind of horrible crime?

First from what I’ve read and heard Troy Victorino was severely mentally and sexually abused as a child and has been known to the Florida Prison since he was sixteen. This is the same prison system that doesn’t deal with rehabilitating sixteen year old inmates to society bur rather only deals with punishment. A disorganized prison system which also clearly let him slip through the cracks and shouldn’t have ever allowed him on the streets.

A timeline from CBS.com
Aug. 4, 2004 - Probation Officer Richard Burrow fills out a report on Victorino's arrest, outlining the facts of Victorino's July 28 crime and July 29 arrest and noting that he appears to be "a threat to the community." It recommends that he be put in jail. But the report wasn't sent to the judge.

Aug. 5, 2004 - Victorino shows up in his DeLand probation office for his regular check-in. He then leaves without his probation officer detaining him to be arrested for violating probation.

The Florida prison system clearly failed and instead of applauding them, we should be applauding a jury of our peers who sentenced Troy Victorino to death. The victim’s families should be equally upset with the Florida prison system as they are with the people who took away their loved ones. But do we really expect from an ever growing Prison population which is so overwhelmed with drug crimes that it has no time with the rehabilitating sixteen year old offenders.

I’m going to end my comment with a question…………
Given the fact that evidence was submitted to the court and a Doctor testified Victorino has a severely enlarged frontal lobe which cause him to have fits of rage. With this being known do you think we should be executing a person with physical disabilities and a mental handicap?

T-Dog, I commend you for responding in such a thoughtful, liberal, merciful fashion, blaming society and the Florida prison system for creating the devil incarnate in Troy Victorino. First, I don't know anything about the Florida penal system and you might be right. It probably didn't help this poor 16-year old incorrigible to understand right from wrong, especially in the case of taking another human being's life. I did, however, commend the Sunshine State for having Old Sparky at the ready for revolting individuals who have no redeeming value whatsoever. Florida understands all to well the value of life, and that is why a jury considered whether Victorino should be spared and decided no he could not.
As to the doctor you refer to, he was hired by the defense to build a woe-is-me story to fit Victorino's bloodlust. He probably had to be shot up with valium to concoct that story.. I would have strapped him to a lie detector test, even if it isn't admissable in court.
Bottom line:: Victorino had a choice, before he went into prison and when he got out of prison. He knew right from wrong. He chose to plot to coldbloodedly kill six individuals in a most brutal fashion. Some progressives like to make victims out of people like Victorino and abandon the memory of the dead. Not me. Not Florida.

First let me say something.

I am and always will be Troy's best friend and the love of his life. I feel everyone one of you should never judge someone unless you truly know them as well spent time with him. Troy is very much innocent and wrong fully convicted. Every one has the right to feel like you do. But his mom is the one and the rest of his family has lost as well.

I'm for lowering the amperage and voltage that flows through "Old Sparky" to inflict more pain and punishment prior to death on these four barbaric, sadistic, animals the don't even deserve to speak to anyone, not even their lawyers!

What? I'm barbaric for saying that? Wait a minute! If they didn't harm anyone, then I wouldn't want to inflict any pain on them. Why would I?

And you liberals? Oh, they had a rough upbringing and they were molested as children etc. etc. etc. Okay, that may be true. But for every one of them, I'm sure there's way more that had the same kind of upbringing who DIDN'T commit violent crimes against their fellow humans. Why should these people be given leniency and compassion? Make no mistake, they knew right from wrong and still do!

Elizabeth, you make me sad. Troy's mom can be excused for her nonsense, but you........ If Victorino was innocent, he would be walking around right now. He was a violent career criminal and thought he could get away with murder, he was wrong.Ask some of the people he has attacked, he doesn't deserve to be walking around. His tattoos betray his membership in the Latin Kings, a violent criminal organization.
Having said that, there is no doubt that frontal lobe injuries are the cause of violence in some, and he should be studied and not killed. This might help us to prevent future Victorinos from killing.