Domenico C. Gigante, a 40-year-old former emergency medical technician from Florida, pleaded guilty Thursday to murdering four people—including his own teenage daughter—after telling his roommate he planned to "kill them all." The killings occurred inside a Rockledge home in the early morning hours of March 1, 2023.
Background
Investigators determined that Gigante had been growing increasingly angered by a strained relationship with his daughter, Kiarra Terwilliger, and her refusal to maintain contact with him. Court documents revealed that on the night before the killings, Gigante told his roommate he was fed up with his daughter and "her family," declaring he intended to go over and kill them all. The following morning, surveillance footage captured Gigante leaving his Rockledge home in his Dodge pickup at 12:57 a.m., carrying what appeared to be a black firearm.
The Investigation
At approximately 1:21 a.m., surveillance cameras at a neighboring residence recorded Gigante's truck entering the driveway of the Terwilliger home on Alan Shepard Avenue. Audio captured several gunshots followed by a woman screaming. Brevard County Sheriff's Office deputies responding to the scene discovered two victims—later identified as Constance Terwilliger, 35, and Michael Watson, 36—dead on the living room floor surrounded by a large pool of blood. Investigators recovered a shell casing and bloody footprints nearby. A third victim, Glenda Terwilliger, 63, was found in another bedroom with a gunshot wound to the head. Kiarra Terwilliger, the teenage daughter, was discovered dead in a second bedroom.
Two children ages 6 and 9 survived the massacre and called a relative for help after Gigante fled the scene. Investigators quickly identified Gigante as a suspect. When his roommate confronted him about his daughter's death, Gigante allegedly admitted he had shot her three times. Authorities later located Gigante in Spanish Fort, Alabama, inside Constance Terwilliger's vehicle and arrested him. Inside the car, investigators recovered a Taurus handgun ballistically confirmed as the weapon used in all four killings.
Gigante waived his right to a jury trial and chose to represent himself during Thursday's proceedings before Circuit Judge Laura Moody of the 18th Judicial Circuit Court. He pleaded guilty to four counts of first-degree premeditated murder—capital felonies—and one count of armed burglary of a dwelling with a firearm inflicting death. The State Attorney's Office announced it will continue seeking the death penalty, citing the family murders, the killing of his daughter under familial authority, and allegations that the killings were committed in a cold, calculated and premeditated manner.
Key Takeaways
- Domenico Gigante pleaded guilty to four counts of first-degree premeditated murder and one count of armed burglary with a firearm causing death
- Victims included his teenage daughter Kiarra Terwilliger, her mother Constance Terwilliger (35), maternal grandmother Glenda Terwilliger (63), and Michael Watson (36)
- Gigante waived his right to a jury trial; Circuit Judge Laura Moody will decide whether he receives the death penalty
- Prosecutors cited familial authority over the victim, premeditation, and the concurrent armed burglary as aggravating factors warranting capital punishment
- Two children ages 6 and 9 survived the attack and alerted authorities
What's Next
Circuit Judge Laura Moody is scheduled to determine Gigante's sentence—whether he will be executed or receive life imprisonment without parole—at a hearing expected in late October or early November. As part of his plea agreement, Gigante acknowledged meeting the aggravating factors required for capital punishment under Florida law and waived all rights to appeal.