A Hungarian national accused of murdering two elderly gay men in Florida could become the first person sentenced to death under a controversial new state law.
According to the Miami Herald, Zsolt Zsolyomi, an undocumented immigrant from Hungary, entered the United States on a 90-day visa in 2022 but overstayed. He allegedly embarked on a crime spree before being linked to two brutal murders.
In 2024, Zsolyomi was charged with petit theft and strong-armed robbery in separate incidents in Broward County, Florida. Later that year, he was arrested, fitted with an ankle monitor, and released. However, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lost track of him, according to Fox 35 Orlando.
Murders of Elderly Gay Men
In November 2024, Miami police connected Zsolyomi to the murder of 66-year-old Carlos Villaquiran, who was found strangled in his bathtub. Authorities say the two had been in an intimate relationship.
By February 2025, he was arrested again—this time for the murder of 71-year-old Rodolfo Fernandez de Velasco, who was discovered strangled with a car seatbelt the month before.
Miami Beach Police Chief Wayne Jones condemned Zsolyomi’s actions, calling him:
“The epitome of evil. He hunts his prey. He’s patient with his prey, and then he kills them. There’s no doubt in my mind, had he not been caught, he would’ve done this again and again and again.”
According to Fox 35, Zsolyomi confessed to both killings and has been charged with second-degree murder. Authorities suspect he may have been targeting elderly gay men.
Florida’s Controversial Death Penalty Law
If convicted, Zsolyomi could be the first person sentenced to death under Florida’s new mandatory death penalty law, which was passed in January 2025. The law, which has been criticised as unconstitutional, mandates “unauthorized aliens” convicted of capital offenses to receive an automatic death sentence.
However, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has stated he plans to veto the bill, citing concerns unrelated to the mandatory death penalty provision.
Criticism of ICE’s Handling of the Case
Devoun Cetoute, a Miami Herald reporter, praised local law enforcement for swiftly solving the case but criticised ICE for failing to track Zsolyomi before the murders.
“When Miami Beach police figured out that they had a murder on their hands in November, it only took a few weeks for them to track down Zsolyomi. Once the second murder was committed, they were almost instantly able to connect him to that murder, as well. So, for police, it was a quick process to identify and track this man, but for ICE, for some reason, it took a lot longer than that.”
The case continues to spark debate over immigration enforcement, LGBTQ+ safety, and the constitutionality of Florida’s new death penalty law.
