The sentencing trial of Nikolas Cruz, convicted in the 2018 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, is underway in a Florida court, with the defense presenting its case for a second week. Cruz’s brother, Zachary Cruz, is expected to take the stand in the coming days after their sister Danielle Woodard was brought from jail to testify in his defense. Woodard said her brother was “tainted” in the womb by their biological mother who was an alcoholic and drug addict. Jurors have also heard from teachers, neighbors and psychiatrists who treated Cruz as a child. The defense case comes after prosecutors spent three weeks detailing how Cruz murdered 17 students and staff members on Valentine’s Day 2018. Jurors listened to grieving family members and toured the school grounds. In October 2021, Cruz pleaded guilty to 17 counts of murder and 17 counts of attempted murder. Jurors will now decide whether he should be sentenced to death or life in prison.
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Show latest update 1662004800
Nikolas Cruz was accused of inappropriate touching years before Parkland
Nikolas Cruz was accused of “inappropriately touching” a young girl years before he killed 17 in the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, according to shocking court testimony. Finai Browd, who was best friends with Cruz’s late stepmother, Lynda Cruz, recounted the disturbing detail in a pre-recorded video deposition played in a Florida court on Monday. Ms. Browd recalled how she and Lynda became best friends when they both lived in New York in the 1980s. The friends then moved to Florida with their husbands and stayed close to each other on purpose. Around the same time Lynda and her husband Roger adopted Nikolas and then his biological half-brother Zachary, Mrs Browd said she and her husband also adopted two children. Both their families were very close and their children spent a lot of time together, she said. But, at one point, she said there was “an incident with Nicolas … inappropriate touching with” a young woman. The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the full story:
Court hears girl accuses Nikolas Cruz of inappropriate contact years before Parkland
Witness Finai Browd also revealed that Nikolas Cruz watched his adoptive father Roger die when he was just five years old Rachel Sharp1 September 2022 05:00 1661997604
We remember the victims
Seventeen students and staff members were murdered in the 2018 Valentine’s Day massacre. For Debbi Hixon, whose husband Chris Hixon died trying to save his students, the sentencing hearing is a way for people to hear the stories of each of the people killed that day. “People say that the 17 parents and the 17 students [when they talk about Parkland]”, he previously told The Independent. “People don’t know the story of every person who’s lost, and for us who lost them, that’s the story. And it’s disappointing that it’s not about those who were lost.” He adds: “All 14 beautiful children and three adults who were lost. Everyone has their own story.” The 14 students killed were: Alyssa Alhadeff, Martin Duque, Nicholas Dworet, Jaime Guttenberg, Luke Hoyer, Cara Loughran, Gina Montalto, Joaquin Oliver, Alaina Petty, Meadow Pollack, Helena Ramsay, Alex Schachter, Carmen Schentrup and Peter Wang. The three adults killed were: Scott Beigel, Chris Hixon and Aaron Feis.
Parkland victim’s widow speaks as victims remember
Chris Hixon was murdered along with 16 others in the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Valentine’s Day 2018. His widow Debbi Hixon tells Rachel Sharp how she hopes his killer’s trial will finally allow her family to begin to mourn Rachel Sharp1 September 2022 03:00 1661994004
The neighbor discusses making a movie about the life of Nikolas Cruz on the prison calls
Jail phone calls to a court have revealed how Nikolas Cruz and his neighbor discussed making a film about the mass murderer’s life. The dramatic audio, taken from two separate calls in August 2021, reveals Cruise’s former neighbor Paul Gold telling the Parkland shooter that he knows a “famous producer” who has worked on movies with stars like Brad Pitt and Tom Hanks. Mr. Gold goes on to say that he is “surprised” that no one has approached Cruise about making a movie about his life. “You know how to talk about movies, I’m surprised someone hasn’t approached you to make a movie,” he can be heard saying. Mr. Gold brings the idea back to another call. The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the full story:
Jailhouse invites inmate Nikolas Cruz and his neighbor to discuss making a movie about his life
Neighbor Paul Gold had his plans to make a film about the massacre of 17 students and staff on fire Rachel Sharp1 September 2022 02:00 1661990404
Neighbor says Cruz’s mother was ‘scared’ of him as court shows photos of damage to family home
Nikolas Cruz’s stepmother was “scared” of her son and warned one of their neighbors not to fall for his “angelic ways”, according to dramatic court testimony. Paul Gold, a former neighbor of the Cruz family, testified in court Wednesday that Lynda Cruz confided in him that she was “scared” of the future mass murderer. “She told me she was afraid of him,” she testified. “He told me not to believe his good looks and angelic ways and that he would turn around and do bad things. And sometimes he was a little afraid of him.” The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the full story:
Parkland gunman’s stepmother was “scared” of son, court heard
Jurors were shown photographs of damage inside the mass killer’s family home, which his neighbor said was caused by Nikolas Cruz and his brother Zachary “banging on the walls”. Rachel Sharp September 1, 2022 01:00 1661986804
Cruise Blamed The Internet For Making Him Feel ‘Stupid’ For Calling Sandy Hook’s Mother
Nikolas Cruz blamed the internet for making him feel “stupid” for leading him to carry out the 2018 massacre in a recent phone call with the mother of a Sandy Hook mass shooting victim. A summary of the jailhouse tapes reveals Cruz’s conversations with the small handful of people who had contact with him in the month before his trial. One of the people he communicated with is Scarlett Lewis, whose six-year-old son Jesse was one of the 26 victims killed in the December 14, 2012, mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. In a conversation between Ms Lewis and Mr Cruz on April 14, the mass murderer blamed the internet, was sent to a special education school and made to feel “stupid” for carrying out the attack. According to the summary, Cruz said he believed his “unfettered access to things on the Internet affected him.” When asked what he thinks drove him from suicidal to homicidal, Cruz said “a lot of the issues were putting him in a special education school and feeling like he was stupid.” During the defense’s opening statement last week, Cruz’s lawyer told the court that Cruz had been in contact with Ms Lewis. “You’re going to hear that he’s talking to and videotaping a woman named Scarlett Lewis, whose six-year-old son, Jesse Lewis, was murdered at Sandy Hook,” his attorney said. “And you’ll hear through these conversations that together, she and Nick are trying to find a way to prevent this from happening again.” Ms Lewis was recently awarded $45 million in damages by far-right extremist and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones for spreading lies that the massacre that killed her son was a “hoax” and “false flag” operation. Rachel Sharp1 September 2022 00:00 1661985004
Cruise’s jail calls reveal he laughed at leaving MAGA hat on his mother’s grave
Parkland gunman Nikolas Cruz laughed when he left a MAGA hat on the grave of his late stepmother, according to a jailhouse call made just months before his sentencing trial began. In the video visit with Richard Moore on March 8, 2022, the 23-year-old mass murderer made light of his strange tribute to Linda Cruz after her death. Cruz told Moore he misses Linda “and laughs at the fact that she left Donald Trump’s ‘MAGA’ hat on her grave,” according to a summary of their conversation. He also said he believed his sentencing hearing would take an “emotional toll” on him. In a separate video call a month later on April 13, Cruz asked his former neighbor Patricia Westerlind to go to Linda’s grave and remove the hat “because she knew his mother would [sic] Like you [sic] there”. The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the full story:
Nikolas Cruz’s Jail Calls Reveal He Laughed About Leaving MAGA Hat on Mom’s Grave
In another video visit, the Parkland gunman urged his brother to visit their mother’s grave on Valentine’s Day – the anniversary of his murderous rampage Rachel Sharp31 August 2022 23:30 1661982604
Parkland shooter went on ‘killing spree’ of all neighborhood toads
Nikolas Cruz once went on a “killing spree” with all the toads in the neighborhood after his family dog died, according to his former neighbor’s courtroom testimony. Paul Gold, who lived next door to the Cruz family from 2008 to 2011, testified Wednesday that he remembered a time when one of the Cruz family’s dogs died because it had eaten a toad. In response, Mr. Gold said that Cruz “went on a killing spree.” “Try to kill every frog in the neighborhood,” he said. The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the full story:
The Parkland shooter once went on a “killing spree” of all the toads in the neighborhood
Neighbor Paul Gold testified Wednesday that he remembered a time when one of the Cruz family’s dogs died after eating a toad Rachel Sharp31 August 2022 22:50 1661980804
The court session ends for one day
The court hearing…
title: “Parkland Shooting Latest Nikolas Cruz S Mother Scared Of Son On Killing Spree Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-10-27” author: “Jane Macklin”
The sentencing trial of Nikolas Cruz, convicted in the 2018 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, is underway in a Florida court, with the defense presenting its case for a second week. Cruz’s brother, Zachary Cruz, is expected to take the stand in the coming days after their sister Danielle Woodard was brought from jail to testify in his defense. Woodard said her brother was “tainted” in the womb by their biological mother who was an alcoholic and drug addict. Jurors have also heard from teachers, neighbors and psychiatrists who treated Cruz as a child. The defense case comes after prosecutors spent three weeks detailing how Cruz murdered 17 students and staff members on Valentine’s Day 2018. Jurors listened to grieving family members and toured the school grounds. In October 2021, Cruz pleaded guilty to 17 counts of murder and 17 counts of attempted murder. Jurors will now decide whether he should be sentenced to death or life in prison.
Basic points
Show latest update 1662004800
Nikolas Cruz was accused of inappropriate touching years before Parkland
Nikolas Cruz was accused of “inappropriately touching” a young girl years before he killed 17 in the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, according to shocking court testimony. Finai Browd, who was best friends with Cruz’s late stepmother, Lynda Cruz, recounted the disturbing detail in a pre-recorded video deposition played in a Florida court on Monday. Ms. Browd recalled how she and Lynda became best friends when they both lived in New York in the 1980s. The friends then moved to Florida with their husbands and stayed close to each other on purpose. Around the same time Lynda and her husband Roger adopted Nikolas and then his biological half-brother Zachary, Mrs Browd said she and her husband also adopted two children. Both their families were very close and their children spent a lot of time together, she said. But, at one point, she said there was “an incident with Nicolas … inappropriate touching with” a young woman. The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the full story:
Court hears girl accuses Nikolas Cruz of inappropriate contact years before Parkland
Witness Finai Browd also revealed that Nikolas Cruz watched his adoptive father Roger die when he was just five years old Rachel Sharp1 September 2022 05:00 1661997604
We remember the victims
Seventeen students and staff members were murdered in the 2018 Valentine’s Day massacre. For Debbi Hixon, whose husband Chris Hixon died trying to save his students, the sentencing hearing is a way for people to hear the stories of each of the people killed that day. “People say that the 17 parents and the 17 students [when they talk about Parkland]”, he previously told The Independent. “People don’t know the story of every person who’s lost, and for us who lost them, that’s the story. And it’s disappointing that it’s not about those who were lost.” He adds: “All 14 beautiful children and three adults who were lost. Everyone has their own story.” The 14 students killed were: Alyssa Alhadeff, Martin Duque, Nicholas Dworet, Jaime Guttenberg, Luke Hoyer, Cara Loughran, Gina Montalto, Joaquin Oliver, Alaina Petty, Meadow Pollack, Helena Ramsay, Alex Schachter, Carmen Schentrup and Peter Wang. The three adults killed were: Scott Beigel, Chris Hixon and Aaron Feis.
Parkland victim’s widow speaks as victims remember
Chris Hixon was murdered along with 16 others in the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Valentine’s Day 2018. His widow Debbi Hixon tells Rachel Sharp how she hopes his killer’s trial will finally allow her family to begin to mourn Rachel Sharp1 September 2022 03:00 1661994004
The neighbor discusses making a movie about the life of Nikolas Cruz on the prison calls
Jail phone calls to a court have revealed how Nikolas Cruz and his neighbor discussed making a film about the mass murderer’s life. The dramatic audio, taken from two separate calls in August 2021, reveals Cruise’s former neighbor Paul Gold telling the Parkland shooter that he knows a “famous producer” who has worked on movies with stars like Brad Pitt and Tom Hanks. Mr. Gold goes on to say that he is “surprised” that no one has approached Cruise about making a movie about his life. “You know how to talk about movies, I’m surprised someone hasn’t approached you to make a movie,” he can be heard saying. Mr. Gold brings the idea back to another call. The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the full story:
Jailhouse invites inmate Nikolas Cruz and his neighbor to discuss making a movie about his life
Neighbor Paul Gold had his plans to make a film about the massacre of 17 students and staff on fire Rachel Sharp1 September 2022 02:00 1661990404
Neighbor says Cruz’s mother was ‘scared’ of him as court shows photos of damage to family home
Nikolas Cruz’s stepmother was “scared” of her son and warned one of their neighbors not to fall for his “angelic ways”, according to dramatic court testimony. Paul Gold, a former neighbor of the Cruz family, testified in court Wednesday that Lynda Cruz confided in him that she was “scared” of the future mass murderer. “She told me she was afraid of him,” she testified. “He told me not to believe his good looks and angelic ways and that he would turn around and do bad things. And sometimes he was a little afraid of him.” The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the full story:
Parkland gunman’s stepmother was “scared” of son, court heard
Jurors were shown photographs of damage inside the mass killer’s family home, which his neighbor said was caused by Nikolas Cruz and his brother Zachary “banging on the walls”. Rachel Sharp September 1, 2022 01:00 1661986804
Cruise Blamed The Internet For Making Him Feel ‘Stupid’ For Calling Sandy Hook’s Mother
Nikolas Cruz blamed the internet for making him feel “stupid” for leading him to carry out the 2018 massacre in a recent phone call with the mother of a Sandy Hook mass shooting victim. A summary of the jailhouse tapes reveals Cruz’s conversations with the small handful of people who had contact with him in the month before his trial. One of the people he communicated with is Scarlett Lewis, whose six-year-old son Jesse was one of the 26 victims killed in the December 14, 2012, mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. In a conversation between Ms Lewis and Mr Cruz on April 14, the mass murderer blamed the internet, was sent to a special education school and made to feel “stupid” for carrying out the attack. According to the summary, Cruz said he believed his “unfettered access to things on the Internet affected him.” When asked what he thinks drove him from suicidal to homicidal, Cruz said “a lot of the issues were putting him in a special education school and feeling like he was stupid.” During the defense’s opening statement last week, Cruz’s lawyer told the court that Cruz had been in contact with Ms Lewis. “You’re going to hear that he’s talking to and videotaping a woman named Scarlett Lewis, whose six-year-old son, Jesse Lewis, was murdered at Sandy Hook,” his attorney said. “And you’ll hear through these conversations that together, she and Nick are trying to find a way to prevent this from happening again.” Ms Lewis was recently awarded $45 million in damages by far-right extremist and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones for spreading lies that the massacre that killed her son was a “hoax” and “false flag” operation. Rachel Sharp1 September 2022 00:00 1661985004
Cruise’s jail calls reveal he laughed at leaving MAGA hat on his mother’s grave
Parkland gunman Nikolas Cruz laughed when he left a MAGA hat on the grave of his late stepmother, according to a jailhouse call made just months before his sentencing trial began. In the video visit with Richard Moore on March 8, 2022, the 23-year-old mass murderer made light of his strange tribute to Linda Cruz after her death. Cruz told Moore he misses Linda “and laughs at the fact that she left Donald Trump’s ‘MAGA’ hat on her grave,” according to a summary of their conversation. He also said he believed his sentencing hearing would take an “emotional toll” on him. In a separate video call a month later on April 13, Cruz asked his former neighbor Patricia Westerlind to go to Linda’s grave and remove the hat “because she knew his mother would [sic] Like you [sic] there”. The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the full story:
Nikolas Cruz’s Jail Calls Reveal He Laughed About Leaving MAGA Hat on Mom’s Grave
In another video visit, the Parkland gunman urged his brother to visit their mother’s grave on Valentine’s Day – the anniversary of his murderous rampage Rachel Sharp31 August 2022 23:30 1661982604
Parkland shooter went on ‘killing spree’ of all neighborhood toads
Nikolas Cruz once went on a “killing spree” with all the toads in the neighborhood after his family dog died, according to his former neighbor’s courtroom testimony. Paul Gold, who lived next door to the Cruz family from 2008 to 2011, testified Wednesday that he remembered a time when one of the Cruz family’s dogs died because it had eaten a toad. In response, Mr. Gold said that Cruz “went on a killing spree.” “Try to kill every frog in the neighborhood,” he said. The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the full story:
The Parkland shooter once went on a “killing spree” of all the toads in the neighborhood
Neighbor Paul Gold testified Wednesday that he remembered a time when one of the Cruz family’s dogs died after eating a toad Rachel Sharp31 August 2022 22:50 1661980804
The court session ends for one day
The court hearing…
