Domenico C. Gigante waived a jury trial and penalty proceeding as Florida prosecutors continued seeking a death sentence.
VIERA, Fla. — A 40-year-old Florida man has pleaded guilty to murdering his 15-year-old daughter and three other people inside a Brevard County home in 2023, moving the capital case directly toward a sentencing decision by a judge.
Domenico C. Gigante pleaded guilty Aug. 27 to four counts of first-degree premeditated murder with a firearm and one count of armed burglary with a firearm, according to the Office of the State Attorney for Florida’s 18th Judicial Circuit. Prosecutors said they will continue seeking the death penalty. Gigante waived his right to a jury trial and a jury penalty proceeding, leaving Circuit Judge Laura Moody to determine his sentence at a hearing expected in late October or early November.
The victims were Gigante’s biological daughter, Kiarra Terwilliger, 15; her mother and Gigante’s former partner, Constance Terwilliger, 35; Kiarra’s grandmother, Glenda Terwilliger, 63; and Michael Watson, 36, who lived at the Alan Shepard Avenue residence in the Canaveral Groves area northwest of Cocoa. Two younger children, ages 6 and 9, were inside the home during the killings but were not physically injured.
Authorities said the shootings occurred during the early morning hours of March 1, 2023. Prosecutors said Gigante left his Rockledge residence and drove to the home where his daughter and the other victims were sleeping. Investigators determined that he broke into the residence and fatally shot all four victims. After Gigante left, the two surviving children contacted a relative, helping bring authorities to the home shortly before 2 a.m.
Evidence described in an arrest affidavit helped investigators quickly focus on Gigante. Surveillance footage showed him leaving his Rockledge residence shortly before 1 a.m. in a pickup truck while carrying what appeared to be a firearm. Cameras near the victims’ home later recorded a vehicle matching the truck arriving at the residence. Audio recorded in the area captured gunfire before vehicle lights were seen leaving the driveway a short time later.
Investigators also interviewed Gigante’s roommate, who told authorities that Gigante had been frustrated because his daughter did not want a relationship with him. According to the affidavit, the roommate said Gigante threatened the family the night before the killings, saying, “I guess I’m going to go over there and kill them all.” After learning that Kiarra was dead, the roommate confronted Gigante and then alerted investigators about concerns he had regarding him.
Brevard County sheriff’s investigators arrested Gigante in Rockledge later March 1. A grand jury subsequently indicted him on four counts of first-degree premeditated murder with a firearm and one count of armed burglary. The prosecution later filed notice that it intended to seek the death penalty, turning the case into a potential capital trial.
The case remained pending for more than three years. Gigante was initially represented by a public defender but chose in July 2026 to represent himself. He later gave up his right to have a jury decide both guilt and punishment. His Aug. 27 guilty pleas eliminated the need for prosecutors to prove at trial that he committed the killings, although the court must still decide what punishment he will receive.
During the plea hearing, Gigante told Moody that his goal was “to take full accountability.” The former emergency medical technician acknowledged responsibility for the deaths as the judge reviewed the consequences of his pleas and waivers. Prosecutors said the guilty pleas did not alter their decision to pursue capital punishment.
The State Attorney’s Office has cited several factors in support of its request for a death sentence. Prosecutors point to the four murders, the killing of Gigante’s daughter while she was under his familial authority, the fact that the killings occurred during an armed burglary and their position that the crimes were committed in a cold, calculated and premeditated manner. Those factors will be considered as part of the sentencing process.
WFTV reported that the judge will ultimately decide whether Gigante is sentenced to death or spends the rest of his life in prison. Because he waived a jury penalty proceeding, a jury will not make a sentencing recommendation in the case. Moody will instead hear the evidence relevant to punishment and make the sentencing decision herself.
No sentence had been imposed as of Sept. 8. The State Attorney’s Office said Moody is expected to conduct the sentencing hearing in late October or early November, with prosecutors continuing to seek the death penalty for the four murders.
Author note: Last updated September 8, 2026.