Domenico Gigante represented himself and waived a jury penalty hearing, leaving a Brevard County judge to decide whether he receives the death penalty.
VIERA, Fla. — A Florida man pleaded guilty Thursday to four counts of first-degree premeditated murder in the 2023 killings of his teenage daughter and three other people, ending the question of guilt while leaving a judge to decide whether he will be sentenced to death.
Domenico C. Gigante, 40, entered the pleas Aug. 27 while representing himself in Brevard County Circuit Court. He also pleaded guilty to an armed burglary charge stemming from the killings at a Canaveral Groves home. Prosecutors said they will continue seeking the death penalty. Because Gigante waived his rights to a jury trial and a jury penalty proceeding, Circuit Judge Laura Moody will decide his sentence.
The four victims were Gigante’s 15-year-old daughter, Kiarra Terwilliger; her mother, Constance Terwilliger, 35; Glenda Terwilliger, 63; and Michael Watson, 36. Authorities said the killings occurred during the early morning hours of March 1, 2023, at a home on Alan Shepard Avenue northwest of Cocoa. Two younger children, ages 6 and 9, were inside the residence but survived unharmed.
According to the 18th Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office, Gigante left his home in Rockledge and drove to the Canaveral Groves residence, where his daughter lived with her mother and other members of the household. Prosecutors said he entered the house while the residents were sleeping and fatally shot four people. Authorities have described the crime as arising from Gigante’s anger over a strained relationship with his daughter, who did not want a relationship with him.
The two younger children played a key role in bringing authorities to the home. Investigators said one of them contacted a relative after the shootings. The relative went to the residence and contacted law enforcement. Deputies responding shortly before 2 a.m. found the four victims dead and the two children physically unharmed. The surviving children were later reunited with relatives.
Investigators quickly focused on Gigante. Authorities said surveillance evidence showed him leaving his Rockledge residence and traveling toward the victims’ home around the time of the killings. An arrest affidavit also described statements from Gigante’s roommate, who told investigators that Gigante had expressed frustration about his daughter and her family and had threatened them the night before the killings. Deputies arrested Gigante in Rockledge later March 1.
A Brevard County grand jury subsequently indicted Gigante on four counts of first-degree premeditated murder with a firearm and an armed burglary charge. He initially had a public defender and had previously entered a not-guilty plea. The case remained pending for more than three years before Gigante decided in July 2026 to dismiss his public defender and exercise his constitutional right to represent himself. The court allowed him to proceed without an attorney after reviewing that decision.
Gigante changed course at Thursday’s hearing and admitted responsibility for the killings. The former emergency medical technician told Moody that his goal was to “take full accountability.” He also indicated that he understood prosecutors would no longer need to prove the murder charges at trial and that the case would instead move directly toward a sentencing proceeding.
The State Attorney’s Office has said it will continue pursuing capital punishment despite the guilty pleas. Prosecutors previously identified several aggravating factors they intend to rely on, including the number of people killed, the fact that Gigante killed his own daughter, and that the murders occurred during an armed burglary. Prosecutors have also characterized the killings as calculated and premeditated. The guilty pleas establish Gigante’s responsibility for the crimes, but Moody must still determine the appropriate punishment under Florida law.
Gigante’s decision to waive a jury penalty proceeding means the sentencing question will rest with Moody rather than a panel of jurors. Local reporting from the plea hearing said the possible outcomes include a death sentence or life imprisonment. The judge will consider the prosecution’s aggravating evidence and any mitigating information permitted during the penalty phase before issuing a decision.
The plea marks a major change from the status of the case after the March 2023 killings, when Gigante was arrested and accused of the four murders. At that time, investigators said the shooting appeared to be an isolated domestic incident. Authorities also said the surviving children were the only people found alive inside the home. The investigation and subsequent indictment eventually placed Gigante on track for a capital murder trial before his decision to admit guilt removed the need for that trial.
The State Attorney’s Office said Moody is expected to hold the sentencing hearing in late October or early November. Gigante remains in custody while awaiting that proceeding. Prosecutors are still seeking the death penalty, and the judge has not yet determined which sentence will be imposed.
Author note: Last updated August 28, 2026.