This week on Your Worst Nightmare, the team travels to a waffle house in Davie, Florida, west of Fort Lauderdale to investigate the death of two employees, Christina Delarosa and Willy Absolu, who was gunned down by Gerhard Hojan.
On March 11, 2002, at 4 am, Hojan and his accomplice, Jimmy Mickel, walked into the waffle house intent on robbery and murder. At first, the pair sat down and ate breakfast.
Three employees were working that morning, Delarosa, Absolu, and Barbara Nunn. Hojan and Mickel were regulars at the waffle house, and they knew the three staff members well. On one occasion, they had even let Nunn into the club where they worked for free.
When the two criminals had eaten their breakfast, Mickel left to retrieve a bolt cutter. When he returned, Hojan pulled out a firearm and ordered the three employees into a freezer in the back, where he locked them inside.
While Mickel proceeded to cut the locks on various cash boxes, Hojan returned to his captives on three occasions. The first time, he demanded that they hand over their cellphones, he then returned to demand that they give up their cash.
On his third visit to the freezer, he told them to kneel, and he pointed the gun at them. The three of them protested at Hojan, arguing for their lives. The 18-year-old Delarosa begged to be allowed to live so she could see her 6-month old child once again.
Gerhard Hojan fired at the waffle house employees
Their protests were in vain as Hojan shot all three before he and Mickel fled the scene. Delarosa and Absolu were killed, but Nunn survived. She managed to crawl out of the freezer and made it to the gas station next door, where she raised the alarm.
Watch the Latest on our YouTube ChannelNunn was able to do what the killer had feared most, which was to identify him and Mickel to the cops. Hojan was found guilty on two counts of murder and one attempted murder and was sentenced in 2003 to be executed by lethal injection.
A change in Florida law allowed Hojan in 2018 to argue that his sentence be commuted to life in prison. However, a judge, once again, insisted that he be executed.
Mickel was acquitted of the murders but is serving five life sentences for his role in the crime.
More from Your Worst Nightmare
Follow the links to read about more horrific crimes profiled on Your Worst Nightmare.
Jerry DeJesus had shown violent tendencies towards his ex-girlfriend, Heather Kelso, and their daughter, so she sought a restraining order. DeJesus responded by shooting her and her flatmate’s infant son dead.
Peggy Klinke was scared to end her relationship with Patrick Kennedy because she feared what he might do. When she eventually plucked up the courage to break up with him, he harassed her for over a year before tracking her down and killing her.
Your Worst Nightmare airs at 10/9c on Investigation Discovery.