Anthony Mull

Anthony Mull, a 25-year-old White man from Kissimmee, Florida, was a loving father to a five-year-old son and a two-year-old daughter. His brother, Trayton Vankesteren, later spoke of the family’s profound grief, saying, “It's just crazy 'cause you never really expect something like that.” On November 16, 2021, Anthony’s life was cut short when he became a victim in a brutal triple homicide that also claimed the lives of his friend, 43-year-old Justin Atkinson, and Justin’s 16-year-old son, Calvin Atkinson.

The violence began that day at an apartment complex in the Buenaventura Lakes neighborhood. According to a confession given to authorities, 41-year-old Kevin Christopher Torres, a neighbor who knew Justin Atkinson, came to believe Justin was in his apartment to rob him. Torres shot and killed Justin inside his own unit on Flower Lane. He then walked to the Atkinsons' apartment in a neighboring building on Gardner Lane, where Anthony Mull was staying.

When Anthony answered the door, Torres shot him, later telling investigators he believed Anthony would be angry that he had killed Justin. Hearing the gunshots, Calvin Atkinson came out of another room and was also fatally shot. Two girls, aged 16 and 11, were inside the apartment and witnessed the killings. Torres held them at gunpoint, threatening to kill them if they did not collect valuables for him from the ransacked apartment.

After forcing the girls to help him, Torres fled in a stolen car, leading law enforcement on a chase into neighboring Orange County. The pursuit ended in an hours-long standoff, during which Torres fired multiple shots through the car’s windshield before he eventually surrendered. He was taken into custody and provided investigators with a full, detailed confession of the killings.

Torres was initially arrested on as many as 20 charges, including three counts of first-degree murder. The state later filed a notice of its intent to seek the death penalty. Subsequently, eight of the original charges were dropped, leaving Torres to face three counts of second-degree murder, as well as charges for burglary, false imprisonment, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, grand theft, and abuse of a dead human body.

A trial scheduled before Ninth Circuit Judge Keith Carsten was canceled after Torres' defense raised questions about his mental state. As of a hearing in February 2023, the case was awaiting a future competency hearing to determine if Torres is fit to stand trial.