FL v. CRUZ: Parkland School Shooter Penalty Phase

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (Court TV) — Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz was sentenced to 34 consecutive life sentences on Nov. 2.

Three weeks after a jury recommended Cruz spend his life in prison without the possibility of parole, Judge Elizabeth Scherer heard two days of victim impact statements before formally sentencing Cruz.

Last October, Cruz pleaded guilty to murdering 17 people and wounding 17 others in the 2018 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The Valentine's Day tragedy remains one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history.

Opening statements in the penalty phase began July 18. A seven-man, five-woman jury has since heard testimony from dozens of witnesses, including survivors and medical experts.

The jury also visited the preserved crime scene on Aug. 4, retracing Cruz's steps.

The 1200 building at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., is pictured, on Wednesday, October 20, 2021. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP)

RELATED: A Court TV producer's firsthand look inside the scene of Parkland school shooting

The State pushed for Cruz, who is now 24, to be put to death for his crimes. Lead prosecutor Mike Satz, who came out of retirement for this case, urged the jurors to look at the evidence of Cruz's planning, contemplation, and preparation of the shootings in his closing argument.

In the defense closing argument, Chief Assistant Public Defender Melisa McNeill said Cruz's life circumstances should be the focus of their deliberations and not his actions on the day of the shooting. McNeil asked the jury to give Cruz a life sentence. "It's the right thing to do. Mercy is what makes us civilized. Giving mercy to Nikolas will say more about who you are than it will ever say about him," McNeill told the jury.

DAILY TRIAL HIGHLIGHTS

Debbie Hixon, right, kisses her daughter-in-law, Ines Hixon, after she gave a victim impact statement in the sentencing hearing for Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. on Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2022. Debbie Hixon's husband, Christopher, was killed in the 2018 shootings. Cruz was sentenced to life in prison for murdering 17 people at Parkland's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School more than four years ago. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel via AP, Pool)

Patricia Padauy Oliver speaks during her victim impact statement in the sentencing hearing for Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. on Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2022. Padauy Oliver's son, Joaquin Oliver, was killed in the 2018 shootings. Cruz was sentenced to life in prison for murdering 17 people at Parkland's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School more than four years ago. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel via AP, Pool)

DAY 26 – 9/14/22

DAY 25 – 9/13/22

DAY 24 – 9/12/22

DAY 23 – 9/2/22

DAY 22 – 9/1/22

DAY 21 – 8/31/22

DAY 20 – 8/30/22

DAY 19 – 8/29/22

DAY 18 – 8/25/22

DAY 17 – 8/24/22

DAY 16 – 8/23/22

DAY 15 – 8/22/22

DAY 12 – 8/4/22

DAY 11 – 8/3/22

DAY 10 – 8/2/22

DAY 9 – 8/1/22

#71 – MICHAEL SCHULMAN – FATHER OF SCOTT BEIGEL

#70 – LINDA BEIGEL SCHULMAN – MOTHER OF SCOTT BEIGEL

#68 and #69 – KELLY PETTY AND MEGHAN PETTY (TOOK THE STAND TOGETHER) – MOTHER AND SISTER OF ALAINA PETTY

#67 – VICTORIA GONZALEZ – GIRLFRIEND OF JOAQUIN OLIVER

#65 and #66 – PATRICIA OLIVER AND ANDREA GHERSI (TOOK THE STAND TOGETHER) – MOTHER AND SISTER OF JOAQUIN OLIVER

#64 – JOHN VINCENT NAVARRA – RETIRED MSD TEACHER AND SERGEANT WHO TAUGHT JUNIOR ROTC (JUNIOR RESERVE OFFICER TRAINING CORPS)

#63 – DET. RONALD FAIRCLOTH – BROWARD SHERIFF’S OFFICE

#62 – DR. TERRILL TOPS – FORENSIC PATHOLOGIST

DAY 8 – 7/27/22

#64 – DET. NICHOLAS MASTERS –BCSO INTERNET CRIMES UNIT

#63 – DR. CRAIG MALLAK –CHIEF MEDICAL EXAMINER, BROWARD COUNTY

#62 – DET. VALERIAN PEREZ – BCSO

#61 – KEVIN FORSBERG – DEPUTY SHERIFF, BSO, HOMICIDE UNIT

#60 – SGT. RAYMOND BELTRAN – THE JAIL DEPUTY CRUZ PLEADED GUILTY TO FIGHTING WITH

DAY 7 – 7/26/22

#59 – DR. MARLON OSBOURNE – ASSOCIATE MEDICAL EXAMINER, BROWARD COUNTY, IN 2018; NOW WITH PALM BEACH COUNTY

#58 – REBECCA SANTIAGO – BCSO CRIME LAB DNA UNIT

#57 – DR. REBECCA MACDOUGALL – BROWARD ASSOCIATE MEDICAL EXAMINER IN 2018; NOW, BROWARD’S CHIEF MEDICAL EXAMINER

#56 – MICHAEL MORRISON – LICENSED FIREARMS DEALER

DAY 6 – 7/25/22

#55 – DR. WENDOLYN SNEED – CHIEF MEDICAL EXAMINER, PALM BEACH COUNTY — IN 2018, ASSOCIATED MEDICAL EXAMINER, BROWARD COUNTY

#54 – DR. STEPHEN ROBINSON – DEPUTY CHIEF MEDICAL EXAMINER, BROWARD COUNTY

#53 – SGT. GLORIA CRESPO – BCSO CRIME SCENE DETECTIVE IN 2018

#52 – LAURA ZECCHINI – UBER DRIVER WHO PICKED UP CRUZ FROM HOME AND DROPPED HIM OFF AT SCHOOL

#51 – DEP. MIGUEL SUAREZ – BROWARD COUNTY SHERIFF CRIME SCENE UNIT

#50 – JUSTIN COLTON – SHOOTING SURVIVOR, LAST OF THE 17 ATTEMPTED MURDER VICTIMS TO TESTIFY

DAY 5 – 7/22/22

#49 – DANNY KRYSTYAN – BCSO CRIME SCENE DETECTIVE

#48 – IOURI BOIKO – ASSOCIATE MEDICAL EXAMINER – BROWARD COUNTY

#47 – DET DAVID ALFIN – CORAL SPRINGS PD

#46 – DEP. RICHARD VANDEREEMS – BCSO

#45 – CAPT. NICHOLAS MAZZEI – CORAL SPRINGS PD

DAY 4 – 7/21/22

WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE JURY VISIT — After Judge Scherer allowed the jury visit to go forward over defense objections, the defense requested a handful of "proactive measures" in two motions (attached) to prevent the visit from having a prejudicial impact on Cruz. Among the highlights:

#38 — BENJAMIN WIKANDER – FORMER MSD STUDENT, ROOM 1213

#39 – CARLOS RUGELES — SUBWAY EMPLOYEE WHO SERVED CRUZ AN ICEE

#40 – JOSE DE LA CRUZ – MCDONALD’S AREA SUPERVISOR

#41 JOHN WILFORD – FORMER MSD STUDENT

#42 OFFICER MICHAEL LEONARD – COCONUT CREEK POLICE

#43 – OFFICER KYLE GREENE – CORAL SPRINGS POLICE

#44 — CLINT WILLIAMS, BCSO

DAY 3 – 7/20/22

#37 – NICOLETTE MICOTTA — MSD STUDENT, BUILDING 9

#36 – TYLER WEST — MSD STUDENT, THIRD FLOOR STUDY HALL, ROOM 1249

#35 KYLE LAMAN — MSD STUDENT

#34 – MARIAN KABACHENKO — MSD STUDENT, GEOGRAPHY CLASS (SPOKE THROUGH RUSSIAN INTERPRETER)

#33 – ERNEST ROSPIERSKI – MSD TEACHER, GEOGRAPHY, AP HISTORY

#32 – ANTHONY BORGES — MSD STUDENT

​​#31 – VERONICA STEEL — MSD STUDENT, THIRD FLOOR, ROOM 1257

#30 – STACEY LIPPEL – MSD TEACHER, THIRD FLOOR

LUNCH BREAK

Survivor accounts continue. No cross exam of these witnesses, just as in other days. Defense objects to photos taken of the victims in the hospital and student's cell phone video from inside class 1213.

#29 – LOGAN MITCHELL — MSD STUDENT, ROOM 1213 WITH MS REOVEN

#28 – MADELEINE WILFORD — MSD STUDENT, ROOM 1213 WITH MS REOVEN

#27 – SAMANTHA MAYOR – MSD STUDENT, ROOM 1213 WITH MS REOVEN

#26 – RONIT REOVEN – MSD TEACHER, ROOM 1213

#25 – SOFIA D’ELIA – FORMER MSD STUDENT, ROOM 1215

EMOTIONAL — #24 – JULETTA MATLOCK – MSD TEACHER, ROOM 1215

#23 – IVY SCHAMIS – FORMER MSD SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER, ROOM 1214, HOLOCAUST STUDIES ELECTIVE

#22 – GENESIS VALENTIN – FORMER MSD STUDENT

#21 — ASHLEY BAEZ – FORMER MSD STUDENT

DAY 2 – 7/19/22

#8 – RON LOWTHER

BROWARD COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE, ELECTRONICS SURVEILLANCE TECHNICIAN

#9 – DANIEL JAMES BOOTH

SOFTWARE ENGINEER, AVIGILON, MAKER OF SURVEILLANCE CAMERA SYSTEMS

#10 – CHRISTOPHER MCKENNA – MSD FRESHMAN IN 2018

#11 – WILLIAM OLSON – MSD FRESHMAN IN 2018

#12 – ALEXANDER DWORET — MSD FRESHMAN IN 2018

#13 – KHESHAVA MANGAPURAM – MSD FRESHMAN IN 2018

#15 – ISABEL CHEQUER – MSD JUNIOR IN 2018

#16 – DANIELA MENESCAL – MSD JUNIOR IN 2018

#17 – SAMANTHA GRADY – MSD JUNIOR IN 2018

#18 – SAMANTHA FUENTES – MSD JUNIOR IN 2018

#19 — ANA MARTINS – MSD FRESHMAN IN 2018

#20 – MICHAEL POWELL – MSD TEACHER NOW AND IN 2018

DAY 1 – 7/18/22

STATE OPENING BY ASSISTANT STATE ATTORNEY MICHAEL SATZ

STATE WITNESS 1 – BRITTANY SINITCH – MSD TEACHER IN 2018; FORMER MSD STUDENT

STATE WITNESS 2 – DANIELLE GILBERT– MSD JUNIOR IN 2018

STATE WITNESS 3 – DYLAN KRAEMER – MSD JUNIOR IN 2018

STATE WITNESS 4 – MAXIMO ROSARIO – FORMER MSD ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

STATE WITNESS 5 – JAMES KESSLER – SYSTEMS ANALYST

STATE WITNESS 6 – CARLOS CASTELLO – RETIRED FBI SPECIAL AGENT

STATE WITNESS 7 – GASTON NIEVES – Digital forensic examiner, FBI

Court TV field producer Emanuella Grinberg contributed to this report.