Crimes and Courts

School shooter’s brain exams to be subject of court hearing

Published

3 years ago

August 15, 2022

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A defense mental health expert in the penalty trial of Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz can pinpoint when he realized the 23-year-old mass murderer still has “irrational thoughts” — the two were making small talk when Cruz began describing plans for an eventual life outside prison.

Wesley Center, a Texas counselor, said that happened last year at the Broward County jail as he fitted Cruz’s scalp with probes for a scan to map his brain. The defense at hearings this week will try to convince Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer that Center and other experts should be allowed to testify at Cruz’s ongoing trial about what their tests showed, something the prosecution wants barred.

“He had some sort of epiphany while he was in (jail) that would focus his thoughts on being able to help people,” transcripts show Center told prosecutors during a pretrial interview this year. “His life’s purpose was to be helping others.”

Cruz, of course, will never be free. Since his arrest about an hour after he murdered 14 students and three staff members at Parkland’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14, 2018, there has never been any doubt his remaining years would be behind bars, sentenced to death or life without parole. Surveillance video shows him mowing down his victims with an AR-15-style semiautomatic rifle and he confessed, eventually pleading guilty in October.

Prosecutors made their argument for death to the seven-man, five-woman jury and 10 alternates over three weeks, resting their case Aug. 4 after the panel toured the still-bloodstained, bullet-pocked classroom building where the massacre happened.

The jurors also watched graphic surveillance videos; saw gruesome crime scene and autopsy photos; received emotional testimony from teachers and students who witnessed others die; and heard from tearful and angry parents, spouses and other family members about the victims and how their loved one’s death impacted their lives. They watched video of the former Stoneman Douglas student calmly ordering an Icee minutes after the shooting and, nine months later, attacking a jail guard.

Soon, it will be Cruz’s attorneys arguing why he should be spared, hoping to convince at least one juror their mitigating factors outweigh the prosecution’s aggravating circumstances — a death sentence must be unanimous.

But first, the trial took last week off to accommodate some jurors’ requests to deal with personal matters. The jury will also be absent this week as the sides argue before Scherer, who will decide whether brain scans, tests and other evidence the defense wants to present starting Aug. 22 is scientifically valid or junk, as the prosecution contends.

Center’s test and its findings will be subject to contentious debate. Called a “quantitative electroencephalogram” or “qEEG,” its backers say it provides useful support to such diagnoses as fetal alcohol syndrome, which Cruz’s attorneys contend created his lifelong mental and emotional problems.

EEGs have been common in medicine for a century, measuring brainwaves to help doctors diagnose epilepsy and other brain ailments. But the qEEG analysis, which has been around since the 1970s, goes a step farther — a patient’s EEG results are compared to a database of brainwaves taken from normal or “neurotypical” people. While qEEG findings cannot be used to make a diagnosis, they can support findings based on the patient’s history, examination, behavior and other tests, supporters contend.

A “qEEG can confirm what you already know, but you can’t create new knowledge,” Center told prosecutors in his interview.

Dr. Charles Epstein, an Emory University neurology professor, reviewed Center’s findings for the prosecution. In a written statement to Scherer, he said EEGs using only external scalp probes like the one given Cruz are imprecise, making Center’s qEEG results worthless.

“Garbage in, garbage out,” he wrote.

Florida judges have given mixed rulings about allowing qEEGs since 2010, when the test helped a Miami-area man escape a death sentence for fatally stabbing his wife and severely wounding her mentally disabled 11-year-old daughter. Some judges have since allowed their admission, while others barred them. Scherer, who is overseeing her first death penalty trial, has never had a case where the defense tried to present a qEEG report.

Even if Scherer bars the test, lead defense attorney Melisa McNeill and her team still have evidence that Cruz’s brain likely suffered damage in the womb, including statements by his late birth mother that she abused alcohol and cocaine during pregnancy.

They also have reports giving circumstantial evidence of his mental illness. Cruz got kicked out of preschool for hurting other children. During his years in public school, he spent significant time at a center for students with emotional issues. He also received years of mental health treatment.

Then there are his life circumstances. Cruz’s adoptive father died in front of him when he was 5; he was bullied by his younger brother and his brother’s friends; he was allegedly abused sexually by a “trusted peer;” he cut himself and abused animals; and his adoptive mother died less than four months before the shooting.

His youth will also be an issue — he was 19 when the shooting happened.

Attorneys not involved in the case say if Scherer wants to avoid having a possible death sentence overturned on appeal, she should give the defense wide latitude on what it presents so jurors can fully assess his life and mental health.

“If it’s a close call, I think she is going to bend to the defense — and the prosecution is not going to be happy,” said David S. Weinstein, a Miami criminal defense lawyer and former prosecutor.

Crimes and Courts

Man Arrested for Attempted Murder After Poinciana Stabbing, Osceola Deputies Says

Published

2 weeks ago

March 8, 2025

FNN NEWS

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. (FNN) – A man is in custody after allegedly stabbing a woman multiple times in a violent attack early Friday morning, according to the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies responded to a 911 call at approximately 1:20 a.m. on March 7, 2025, reporting a stabbing at a residence in Poinciana, Florida. Upon arrival, law enforcement discovered a female victim suffering from multiple stab wounds. Authorities quickly identified Julio Ramos-Aleman as the suspect in the brutal attack.

According to investigators, Ramos-Aleman fled the scene in his vehicle before deputies arrived. Detectives immediately launched an investigation and secured an arrest warrant for Attempted Murder. Through rapid investigative efforts, they were able to track down Ramos-Aleman and take him into custody.

Ramos-Aleman has since been arrested for Attempted Murder and booked into the Osceola County Jail with no bond. Officials have not yet released further details about the victim’s condition or what may have led to the attack.

What’s Next?

The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the incident. Authorities encourage anyone with additional information to contact the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office or Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS to assist in the case.

Crimes and Courts

FBI Arrests LGBTQ+ Democrat Leader Matthew Inman on Child Porn Charges

Published

2 months ago

January 25, 2025

FNN NEWS

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN) – The arrest of prominent LGBTQ+ leader Matthew A. Inman, 39, has sent shockwaves through Central Florida. The suspended Orange County Democratic Party’s Treasurer and President of the Rainbow Democrats now faces federal charges of transporting child sexual abuse material (CSAM), according to the United States Attorney’s Office Middle District of Florida.

Details of the Arrest and Charges

The FBI, as part of an extensive investigation, uncovered evidence that between August and October 2024, Inman received and stored multiple videos depicting child sexual abuse. These videos, stored on his phone, allegedly showed graphic acts of sexual assault on young children.

In October 2024, Inman traveled to Las Vegas, where he engaged in explicit online conversations with an undercover FBI officer posing as the father of a 9-year-old boy. **Inman expressed interest in meeting and sexually abusing the child, even going so far as to send additional CSAM videos to the undercover officer.**

When the FBI executed a search warrant at Inman’s Orlando residence, he attempted to delete evidence from his phone and hide in the attic. However, investigators were able to recover electronic devices containing incriminating material.

United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced the filing of a criminal complaint against Inman, charging him with the transportation of child sexual abuse material. If convicted, Inman faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years, with a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.

Responses from Organizations

Following Inman’s arrest, several organizations distanced themselves from him and issued strong statements condemning his alleged actions:

Orange County Democratic Party Statement in Response to the Arrest of Matthew Inman:

Statement by the Rainbow Democrats Board in Response to the Arrest of Matthew Inman:

Visit Orlando

The tourism organization, where Inman was previously employed, confirmed his termination, stating, We are devastated to learn of these allegations and have ended his employment with immediate effect.”

Key Highlights

– FBI arrested Matthew Inman on federal child pornography charges.
– Allegations include possession of CSAM and attempts to meet a child for sexual abuse.
– Organizations, including the Orange County Democratic Party and Rainbow Democrats, severed ties with Inman and condemned his actions.
– Case brought under Project Safe Childhood to combat child exploitation.

About Project Safe Childhood

This case was pursued under **Project Safe Childhood**, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in 2006 to combat child exploitation. The program unites federal, state, and local agencies to investigate and prosecute individuals involved in the sexual exploitation of children. It also focuses on identifying and rescuing victims.

For more information on Project Safe Childhood and how to report suspected exploitation, visit [www.justice.gov/psc](https://www.justice.gov/psc).

Ongoing Legal Process

It’s important to note that the charges against Matthew Inman are allegations at this stage. **A criminal complaint is not evidence of guilt, and every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.**

This case remains under investigation by the FBI, and Assistant United States Attorney Richard Varadan is leading the prosecution.

Crimes and Courts

Osceola County Mother Indicted for First Degree Murder in Daughter’s Drowning

Published

4 months ago

December 4, 2024

FNN NEWS

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. (FNN) – A Kissimmee mother is facing severe charges after being formally indicted by an Osceola County grand jury on Wednesday. Kelsey Glover, 35, has been charged with First Degree Murder for the drowning death of her daughter and Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon for an attack on another woman.

The incident occurred on November 20, 2024, when deputies from the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office responded to a distressing 911 call. A female witness reported that Glover had attacked her with a hammer and drowned her daughter.

Upon arriving at the home in Kissimmee, deputies discovered the young girl unresponsive. The child was rushed to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Further investigation determined that Glover drowned her daughter in a bathtub and physically assaulted the witness with a hammer.

On December 4, the State presented evidence to the Osceola County grand jury, which resulted in an indictment for First Degree Murder and Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon.

Next Steps in the Case
The legal process for Glover will now proceed through the Osceola County court system. Her arraignment, pre-trial motions, and trial dates will be scheduled in the coming weeks. The Osceola County Clerk of Court’s website will provide the latest updates on court hearings and proceedings.

The charges Glover faces are among the most serious in Florida’s legal system, with First Degree Murder carrying the possibility of life imprisonment or the death penalty.

For now, officials remain tight-lipped about further details surrounding the case as the investigation continues.

What’s Next?

Arraignment Hearing: Glover will formally hear the charges and enter a plea.
Pre-Trial Motions: Attorneys may file motions to suppress evidence, change venue, or challenge witness testimony.
Trial Preparation: Both the prosecution and defense will build their cases, which may include psychological evaluations, expert testimony, and gathering physical evidence.
Court Proceedings: Updates on trial dates will be posted on the Osceola County Clerk of Court’s website.
Sentencing: If convicted, Glover could face life imprisonment or the death penalty, depending on the trial outcome.