John Buzia

[chris]

DC Number:  E11617 Name:  BUZIA, JOHN M Race:  WHITE Sex:  MALE Hair Color:  BROWN Eye Color:  BROWN Height:  5'10'' Weight:  206 lbs. Birth Date:  06/06/1960 Initial Receipt Date:  03/12/2004 Current Facility:  UNION C.I. Current Custody:  MAXIMUM Current Release Date:  DEATH SENTENCE

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Aliases:
JOHN M BUZIA	JOHN MICHAEL BUZIA

Current Prison Sentence History:
Offense Date	Offense	Sentence Date	County	Case No.	Prison Sentence Length
03/14/2000	1ST DG MUR/PREMED. OR ATT.	03/11/2004	SEMINOLE	0000923	DEATH SENTENCE
03/14/2000	1ST DG MUR/PREMED. OR ATT.(ATTEMPTED)	03/11/2004	SEMINOLE	0000923	SENTENCED TO LIFE
03/14/2000	BURGLARY ASSAULT ANY PERSON	03/11/2004	SEMINOLE	0000923	SENTENCED TO LIFE
03/14/2000	ROBB. GUN/DEADLY WPN	03/11/2004	SEMINOLE	0000923	SENTENCED TO LIFE

Note: The offense descriptions are truncated and do not necessarily reflect the crime of conviction. Please refer to the court documents or the Florida Statutes for further information or definition.

Incarceration History:
Date In-Custody	Date Out-of-Custody
03/12/2004	Currently Incarcerated

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Circumstances of Offense:

John Buzia performed odd jobs around the residence and rental properties of Charles and Thea Kersch. On the morning of 03/14/00, Buzia did not arrive at the Kersch residence to work as scheduled. In a later police interview, Buzia stated that he intended to resolve a “money issue” with the Kersches by stealing money from them.

When Mrs. Kersch arrived at her residence around 4:00 on the 14th, Buzia was waiting for her. He told her that he needed to talk to her husband. After a brief conversation and without warning, Buzia struck Mrs. Kersch several times with his fist, causing blood to spray from her nose. After he knocked her down, he kicked her, and she lost consciousness. He took her keys and removed $80 from her purse, then dragged her into the back bedroom and covered her with a blanket. Buzia then searched the house and removed a Mastercard from her purse.

Buzia heard the garage door open and assumed that Mr. Kersch had arrived. As Mr. Kersch entered the house through the garage entrance, Buzia struck him with his fist, causing Mr. Kersch to fall to the floor and hit his head on the tile. Mr. Kersch attempted to rise, Buzia struck him again with his fist, and Mr. Kersch again fell to the floor. Buzia removed $100 from Mr. Kersch’s wallet.

Buzia removed an axe (either single or double-edged) from the garage and struck Mr. Kersch once in the head with the flat side of the axe. After hearing Mrs. Kersch groaning from the back bedroom, Buzia went to the back bedroom and also struck her once in the head with the flat side of the axe. During police questioning after his arrest, Buzia claimed that he struck the Kersches with the axe to allow himself more time to escape.

After attempting to clean up the house, Buzia took Mr. Kersch’s car keys and one of his t-shirts. Buzia then changed shirts and drove away in Mr. Kersch’s car. Mrs. Kersch had called 911 after Buzia’s initial attack, and a sheriff’s deputy responded after Buzia fled. Mrs. Kersch identified Buzia as the attacker. Paramedics later arrived and treated Mrs. Kersch for her injuries, but Mr. Kersch died from blunt force trauma to his head.

The following morning, Buzia was arrested as he attempted to cash an $830 check from Mr. Kersch’s account. Bank employees recognized the car’s description and license plate from television and newspaper reports regarding the Kersch’s missing car and called police, who arrested Buzia at the bank.