By Eric Levenson, Denise Royal and Sara Weisfeldt | CNN
An lawyer for Nikolas Cruz requested jurors Monday to contemplate the Parkland faculty shooter’s dysfunctional household life and his critical psychological well being points after they resolve whether or not to condemn him to loss of life.
“In telling you Nik’s story, in telling you the chapters of his life, we will provide you with causes for all times,” public defender Melisa McNeill mentioned Monday in a Florida courtroom. “That known as mitigation. Mitigation is any purpose that you just imagine that the loss of life penalty shouldn't be an applicable penalty on this case.”
Specifically, McNeill highlighted his delivery mom’s abuse of medication and alcohol throughout his being pregnant, saying Cruz confirmed indicators from a younger age of fetal alcohol spectrum dysfunction and delinquent character dysfunction.
“As a result of Nikolas was bombarded by all of these issues, he was poisoned within the womb. Due to that, his mind was irretrievably damaged, via no fault of his personal,” McNeill mentioned.
The feedback had been a part of the protection’s opening statements in Cruz’s loss of life penalty trial for the killing of 17 individuals and wounding of 17 extra at a highschool in Parkland, Florida, in February 2018. It was the primary time jurors have heard from Cruz’s protection. His attorneys deferred their preliminary opening statements, didn't cross-examine any college students or lecturers who survived the taking pictures and requested solely fundamental questions of different witnesses.
The protection additionally referred to as its first two witnesses, a lady who testified Cruz’s delivery mom used medicine and alcohol whereas pregnant and Cruz’s sister, who described life with a “horrible mom.”
Cruz pleaded responsible in October to 17 counts of homicide and 17 counts of tried homicide, and the continued part of his prison trial is to find out his sentence. Prosecutors are looking for the loss of life penalty, whereas Cruz’s protection attorneys are asking the jury for a sentence of life in jail with out the potential of parole.
Over three weeks in July and August, prosecutors argued Cruz was “chilly, calculative, manipulative and lethal” in finishing up his assault and referred to as to the stand a sequence of scholars, lecturers, cops and victims’ members of the family to bear witness to the horrific particulars of that day. Prosecutors additionally led jurors on a journey to the untouched scene of the February 14, 2018, mass taking pictures at Marjory Stoneman Douglas Excessive Faculty.
If jurors suggest Cruz be sentenced to loss of life, they have to be unanimous.
Fourteen of these killed had been college students: Alyssa Alhadeff, 14; Martin Duque Anguiano, 14; Nicholas Dworet, 17; Jaime Guttenberg, 14; Luke Hoyer, 15; Cara Loughran, 14; Gina Montalto, 14; Joaquin Oliver, 17; Alaina Petty, 14; Meadow Pollack, 18; Helena Ramsay, 17; Alex Schachter, 14; Carmen Schentrup, 16; and Peter Wang, 14.
Geography instructor Scott Beigel, 35; wrestling coach Chris Hixon, 49; and assistant soccer coach Aaron Feis, 37, additionally had been killed, every whereas operating towards hazard or attempting to assist college students to security.
Protection lays out Cruz’s tough household life
In opening statements Monday, McNeill laid out Cruz’s tough household life, together with his delivery mom’s historical past of dependancy and the loss of life of his adopted mother and father Lynda and Roger Cruz.
McNeill referred to as Cruz a “broken and wounded” individual and mentioned attorneys plan to point out the court docket disturbing issues he mentioned and wrote, his obsessions with weapons and devils and even his faculty taking pictures “manifesto.”
“His mind is damaged,” she mentioned. “He’s a broken human being. And that’s why these items occur.”
McNeill additionally laid out Cruz’s interactions with the general public schooling system, which she mentioned proved unable to handle his points.
Cruz had developmental delays early in his childhood, together with his problem speaking with others. He would chunk others, lash out emotionally and was impaired intellectually, McNeill mentioned.
Cruz first acquired particular schooling providers at age 6, struggling in class socially and academically all through his younger life, she mentioned.
He developed a fascination with firearms and, after bringing a weapon to high school, was forbidden from carrying a backpack in any respect, and was escorted from class to class, McNeill mentioned. Nonetheless, in October 2016, Cruz and his adopted mom went to a gun retailer in South Florida and bought a rifle.
He attended Stoneman Douglas Excessive Faculty moderately than a extra specialised particular schooling faculty, and a few faculty workers raised considerations to authorities about his conduct, in line with McNeill.
In February 2017, at age 18 and never on observe to graduate, Cruz was instructed to go away the college, and he actually ran off the campus, McNeill mentioned. A college monitor noticed the scene and mentioned, “That child goes to come back again and shoot this faculty up,” in line with McNeill.
In November 2017, his mom Lynda Cruz died, which McNeill mentioned uprooted any stability in his life. By the point of the taking pictures, regulation enforcement had visited his dwelling greater than 40 occasions, she mentioned.
“We are going to let you know Nikolas’s life story in order that we can provide you causes to vote for all times. That’s what I’m going to ask you to do,” she mentioned.
Cruz’s sister says their mom was an addict
The protection’s first two witnesses testified Brenda Woodard, Cruz’s delivery mom, used medicine and drank alcohol whereas she was pregnant with Cruz.
Carolyn Deakins, a recovering addict who within the Nineties used medicine, drank and labored as a prostitute with Woodard, testified Woodard confirmed no look after the approaching child and used all her sources to purchase medicine and alcohol.
Danielle Woodard, Cruz’s sister, equally testified her mom abused medicine and alcohol all through their childhood, making a hostile atmosphere for the youngsters.
“She had an dependancy. She all the time put that first, earlier than me, or him, or Zach (Cruz), or anyone,” she mentioned.
“She launched me to a life that no youngster must be launched to,” she added. “She had no regards for my life or his life.”
Brenda Woodard, who died final yr, gave up Cruz for adoption when he was born in 1998. Danielle Woodard testified she held Cruz as a child however has not been in the identical room as him once more till court docket Monday.
The protection case could embrace testimony from Cruz’s siblings. Final week, Decide Elizabeth Scherer granted the state’s movement to compel depositions for Zachary Cruz, the gunman’s brother, and Richard Moore, who Zachary at the moment lives with in Virginia. Zachary Cruz and Richard Moore had been ordered by the court docket to seem September 6 for deposition to “reply every query which might be posed by the state.”
Throughout cross-examination, prosecutors requested Danielle Woodward about her relationship with Moore and Michael Donovan, who additionally lives with Zachary Cruz.
Woodard testified that she has spoken to Moore a few occasions by telephone. She mentioned he despatched her meals throughout her most up-to-date incarceration and has additionally despatched her cash, although she didn't know him earlier than the taking pictures.
Assistant State Lawyer Jeff Marcus requested Woodard about her new lawyer who was appointed late final week and requested if she knew it was Moore who was paying for the brand new lawyer. She mentioned no, that it was Zachary Cruz who employed him. The identical lawyer as soon as represented Zachary Cruz.
Marcus additionally requested Woodward if she knew that Moore and Donovan produced a actuality TV present which options an episode referred to as “Being Zachary Cruz.” She mentioned she was unaware of the present.
Childhood instructor says Cruz behaved aggressively
Susan Hendler Lubar, who beforehand labored with particular wants youngsters in South Florida, testified that Cruz was aggressive and non-communicative when he entered her class at 4 years outdated.
“Nikolas would push youngsters, would scratch at them, would topple over furnishings,” she mentioned. “He would steer clear of different youngsters and in the event that they acquired too near him he would principally pounce.”
Hendler Lubar mentioned she started to look at and file his conduct, significantly his aggression and “animal fantasies,” wherein he would hiss, scratch and curl his arms into paws whereas performing like an animal.
She mentioned she tried to find out the reason for his behaviors and supply interventions to forestall them. Cruz’s aggressive conduct appeared to be brought on by his proximity to different youngsters, she mentioned.
The protection introduced a type in court docket that Hendler Lubar had stuffed out whereas she was Cruz’s instructor. On the shape, she famous that the kid not often dealt with reprimands or redirection with out overreacting, not often cooperated with friends and barely made pals simply. She additionally marked that he solely typically demonstrated self management or adopted guidelines.