SEBRING, Fla. (WFLA) — More than three years after the Sebring bank massacre, family members of the five women murdered are still waiting for justice.
Frustration built, even more, Friday after a judge ruled to delay the trial.
Marisol Lopez, Jessica Montague, Ana Pinon-Williams, Debra Cook, and Cynthia Watson were shot and killed inside a SunTrust bank on US-27 South on Jan. 23, 2019. The accused gunman, Zephen Xaver, is still behind bars awaiting trial.
Xaver sat in the courtroom in a black and white prison jumpsuit while public defenders and prosecutors argued their cases to the judge.
The judge granted a motion to delay the trial for the accused gunman, due to medical issues with the public defender’s office.
State Attorney Brian Haas attempted to fight the motion, but the judge ruled to push the trial back, saying Xaver is entitled to competent, effective attorneys.
It was an emotional day for the family of Ana Pinon-Williams, who was also in the courtroom.
“I think for all of us it was hard to see him, and you know, he’s living his life, he’s still here,” said Ana’s sister Blanca Pinon.
The hearing didn’t go as they had hoped. While family members are frustrated, they plan to keep fighting for justice.
“Every time we go into the courtroom, he’s going to be present. There’s absolutely nothing we can say to him. So, it’s going to be hard to really hold your emotions the more we have to go through this,” said Pinon.
The next hearing is set for March 25, where a new trial date will be discussed. The judge said the goal is for the trial to start sometime this year.
