[Florida Files] The Murder of Shirley and Virgil Best: A Family's Fatal Devotion
A Life of Faith and Fish Ponds
For married couple Shirley and Virgil Best, life in Riverview, Florida, had settled into a comfortable, rewarding rhythm. Together for forty-five years, they owned and operated Quality Fins, a successful tropical fish farm spanning several acres and featuring around eighty fish ponds. Shirley, a dedicated nurse of twenty-six years, eventually joined Virgil to run the business full-time. They were active, devout Christians who attended the First Baptist Church of Gibsonton twice a week. To everyone who knew them, Shirley and Virgil were the definition of hardworking, gentle, and generous. With their three children grown and five grandchildren keeping them busy, they were actively planning to sell the fish farm, buy an RV, and spend their golden years traveling the world. They had earned a peaceful retirement, but their oldest son's chaotic life would ensure they never got to see it.
The Black Sheep and the Million-Dollar Scam
Robert Best was the self-proclaimed black sheep of the family. Unlike his hardworking parents, Robert's life was a continuous cycle of deception and criminal charges. In 1996, while serving a prison sentence, Robert carried out an extraordinary fraud scheme. He targeted Lisa Carver, a blind woman who had received a $2.4 million medical malpractice settlement. By posing as a successful international investor who loved her, Robert convinced Lisa to wire him over $1 million upon his release. Within forty-five days, Robert burned through $800,000, purchasing a fleet of luxury cars, powerboats, real estate, and expensive jewelry for other girlfriends. Despite the heartbreak, Shirley and Virgil never fully closed the door on their son, with Shirley once tenderly observing that Robert was incredibly intelligent and could have made a million dollars honestly if he had chosen to.
The Breaking Point
By 2015, Robert was facing his most serious charges yet: three counts of sexual battery of a minor and interference with child custody. His wife, Marisol Best, who was twenty years his junior and had married him at age twenty-three, was also implicated and was already serving probation. Robert's trial was scheduled to begin on the morning of November 12, 2015. The pressure on the family was immense. Shirley and Virgil, deeply disappointed and embarrassed by their son's continuous legal disasters, had begun to distance themselves, even restructuring their will to leave Robert only ten percent of their estate. To Marisol, this felt like a total betrayal of family loyalty.
A Prayer Turned Deadly
On the evening of November 11, Marisol drove to her in-laws' home alone, feeling overwhelmed and seeking comfort. However, the conversation quickly turned to Robert's upcoming trial. When Shirley and Virgil expressed their disappointment in Robert, Marisol snapped. Claiming she needed to run to her truck to grab feminine hygiene products, she instead retrieved a .40 caliber handgun belonging to a family friend. She returned to the house, hiding the gun under her shirt. When she emerged from the bathroom, Shirley and Virgil asked her to hold their hands so they could pray together. As they stood preparing to pray, Marisol drew the weapon and opened fire. Virgil was shot once in the head, and Shirley was shot twice. Marisol then staged the home to look like a burglary before driving home.
The Staged Burglary Unravels
The next morning, Robert and Marisol drove to the house, claiming they wanted to pray with his parents before court. Robert walked in and discovered his parents' lifeless bodies. While Robert frantically called 911, investigators quickly realized the burglary had been staged; cash, silver bars, and rare coins remained completely untouched. The breakthrough came when a family friend noticed his two handguns were missing from his truck. When detectives questioned Marisol, she retrieved the guns from a backpack and broke down, confessing to the double homicide.
Misguided Loyalty
In August 2018, Marisol was found guilty on two counts of first-degree murder. During her sentencing, Judge Michelle Sisco addressed Marisol directly, calling her actions the result of "misguided loyalty" to a husband who had manipulated her for years, even adding the chilling remark that if Marisol had shot Robert instead, people might have understood. Marisol was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole. Robert, who was never charged in connection with his parents' deaths, was taken into custody on a failure to appear warrant for his original trial and remains estranged from his surviving siblings, who have completely cut him out of their lives.
This week we cover the tragic murders of Shirley and Virgil Best, the bizarre web of manipulation surrounding their son, and the ultimate act of misguided loyalty that resulted in a double life sentence.
