Specifically, McNeil highlighted his mother’s drug and alcohol abuse during his pregnancy, saying that Cruz showed early signs of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and antisocial personality disorder. “Because Nicholas was bombarded with all these things, he was poisoned in the womb. Because of that, his brain was broken beyond repair, through no fault of his own,” McNeil said. The comments were part of the defense’s opening statements in Cruz’s death penalty trial for killing 17 people and wounding 17 others at a high school in Parkland, Florida, in February 2018. It was the first time jurors heard his defense. Cruise. His attorneys postponed their initial opening statements, did not cross-examine any students or teachers who survived the shooting and asked only basic questions of other witnesses. The defense also called its first two witnesses, a woman who testified that Cruz’s mother used drugs and alcohol while pregnant and Cruz’s sister, who described living with a “horrible mother.” Cruz pleaded guilty in October to 17 counts of murder and 17 counts of attempted murder, and the ongoing phase of his criminal trial is to determine his sentence. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty, while Cruz’s defense attorneys are asking jurors for life in prison without the possibility of parole. Over three weeks in July and August, prosecutors argued that Cruz was “cold, calculating, manipulative and deadly” in carrying out his attack and called an array of students, teachers, police officers and victims’ family members to the stand to testify. bear witness to the horrific details of that day. Prosecutors also took jurors on a trip to the untouched scene of the Feb. 14, 2018, mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. If jurors recommend Cruz be sentenced to death, they must be unanimous. Fourteen of the dead were students: Alyssa Alhadeff, 14; Martin Duque Anguiano, 14; Nicholas Dworet, 17; Jaime Guttenberg, 14; Luke Hoyer, 15; Cara Loughran, 14; Gina Modalto, 14; Joaquin Oliver, 17; Alaina Petty, 14; Meadow Pollack, 18; Helena Ramsay, 17; Alex Schachter, 14; Carmen Schentrup, 16; and Peter Wang, 14. Geography teacher Scott Beigel, 35; wrestling coach Chris Hixon, 49; and assistant football coach Aaron Feis, 37, were also killed, each running toward danger or trying to help students to safety.
The defense describes Cruz’s difficult family life
In his opening statements Monday, McNeil laid out Cruz’s difficult family life, including his birth mother’s history of addiction and the deaths of his adopted parents, Linda and Roger Cruz. McNeil called Cruz a “broken and traumatized” person and said lawyers plan to show the court disturbing things he said and wrote, his obsessions with guns and devils and even his school shooting “manifesto.” “His brain is broken,” she said. “He’s a broken man. And that’s why these things happen.” McNeil also presented Cruz’s interactions with the public education system, which proved unable to address his problems. Cruz had developmental delays early in his childhood, including difficulty communicating with others. He bit others, had emotional outbursts and had mental issues, McNeil said. Cruz first received special education services at age 6, struggling in school socially and academically throughout his young life. He developed a fascination with firearms and, after bringing a gun to school, was banned from carrying any backpacks and was escorted from class to class, McNeil said. However, in October 2016, Cruz and his adopted mother went to a gun store in South Florida and bought a rifle. He attended Stoneman Douglas High School rather than a more specialized special education school, and some school staff raised concerns with authorities about his behavior. In February 2017, at age 18 and not ready to graduate, Cruz was told to leave the school and literally walked off campus, McNeil said. A school monitor saw the scene and said, “This kid is going to come back and shoot up this school,” according to McNeill. In November 2017, his mother Lynda Cruz died, uprooting all stability in his life. By the time of the shooting, law enforcement had visited his home more than 40 times, McNeill said. “We’re going to tell you the story of Nikolas’ life to give you reasons to vote for life. That’s what I’m asking you to do,” he said.
Cruz’s sister says their mother was an addict
The first two defense witnesses testified Brenda Woodard, Cruz’s birth mother, used drugs and drank alcohol while pregnant with Cruz. Carolyn Deakins, a recovering addict who in the 1990s used drugs, drank and worked as a prostitute with Woodard, testified that Woodard showed no concern for the coming baby and used all her resources to buy drugs and alcohol . Danielle Woodard, Cruz’s sister, similarly testified that her mother abused drugs and alcohol throughout their childhood, creating a hostile environment for the children. “He had an addiction. He always put that first, before me, or him, or Zach (Cruz) or anybody,” she said. “He introduced me to a life that no child should be introduced to,” he added. “He had no respect for my life or his life.” Brenda Woodard, who died last year, gave Cruz up for adoption when he was born in 1998. Danielle Woodard testified that she held Cruz as a baby but was not in the same room with him again until Monday’s court hearing. The defense case may include testimony from Cruz’s siblings. Last week, Judge Elizabeth Scherer granted the state’s motion to compel the depositions of Zachary Cruz, the gunman’s brother, and Richard Moore, with whom Zachary now lives in Virginia. Zachary Cruz and Richard Moore were ordered by the court to appear on September 6 for a deposition to “answer any questions asked by the state.” CNN’s Dakin Andone contributed to this report.
