PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB) – “We, the jury, find by a vote of ten to two that Michael Harrison Hunt should be sentenced to death.”
10 of the 12 jurors said they believe Michael Hunt should die for shooting and killing Lexi Peck. They’d already convicted him of first-degree murder and 3 counts of attempted first-degree murder on Wednesday. Hunt shot the 4 victims on the night of April 4, 2019, at their home on Allen Avenue.
Prosecutors say he wanted to kill potential witnesses who could testify against him for sexual abuse of a minor. The death sentence was the outcome they’d pursued from the start. They were able to convince jurors that Hunt’s crimes were cold-blooded and especially heinous.
“Alexandra Peck experienced the torturous anxiety and fear of impending death. You should really be looking at this from how she spent the last moments of her life,” said State Attorney Peter Overstreet.
The Scoggins family and friends wore “Justice for Lexi” shirts while waiting to hear the jury’s recommendation. Emotion filled the room so much it was almost tangible. Audible sighs and quiet weeps were heard from the family once they learned Hunt’s punishment. After the jury’s recommendation, State Attorney Larry Basford said he had mixed emotions considering the circumstances.
“It’s sort of a mixed bag of emotions. Yes, we are very proud to have been part of making the criminal justice system work for Lexi’s family and to achieve some measure of justice for them. Still, there’s another part of us that we cannot, no matter what we do, we cannot bring her back.”
The Scoggins family and friends have peace of mind knowing Hunt is behind bars, but all they want is their beloved Lexi back.
“Knowing that we got justice for her helps a lot,” said Lexi’s parents Danny and Jenna Scoggins. “I’ll be able to sleep now. I love her and miss her. We love her. We love her so much.”
