The defence case in the penalty phase trial for Nikolas Cruz, convicted of the 2018 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, is underway in Fort Lauderdale.
Jurors have heard from Cruz’s sister Danielle Woodard who was allowed to leave jail to testify in her brother’s defence. Woodard said her brother was “polluted” in the womb by their shared biological mother who was an alcoholic and drug addict. The jury also heard from teachers, neighbours, and a clinical psychologist and two psychiatrists who treated Cruz as a child.
Cruz’s defence is that foetal alcohol spectrum disorders and a troubled upbringing led him to commit the school massacres on Valentine’s Day 2018.
Meanwhile, images have emerged of blood scrawled on the walls of his prison cell, as well as page after page of disturbing drawings made during his time in court. A letter from one school to his psychiatrist warning of his dreams of killing was also shown to the court.
In October 2021, Cruz pleaded guilty to 17 counts of first-degree murder and 17 counts of attempted murder. Jurors will now decide if he is sentenced to death or to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
