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Crimes and Courts

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

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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.

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Crimes and Courts

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

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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.

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Crimes and Courts

Sarah Boone Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murdering Boyfriend in Suitcase

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ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. (FNN) – On Monday, Sarah Boone, 47, was sentenced to life in the Florida Department of Corrections by Orange County Circuit Court Judge Michael Kraynick for the chilling murder of her boyfriend, Jorge Torres. Boone’s conviction stems from an incident on February 23, 2020, when she zipped Torres inside a suitcase, leaving him to suffocate.

Case Details
Boone was found guilty of Second Degree Murder on October 25, 2024, after a jury reviewed damning evidence, including cellphone videos recorded by Boone herself. The footage showed Boone taunting Torres as he desperately screamed for help from inside the suitcase. Despite his pleas, Boone refused to release him and instead went upstairs to sleep.

Trial and Sentencing
Judge Kraynick, after ordering a pre-sentence investigation, weighed several factors before delivering the sentence. He considered the details of the homicide, Boone’s personal background, criminal history, and previous trauma. The severity and calculated nature of Boone’s actions played a significant role in the life sentence ruling.

The Crime
The horrifying incident began as a purported game of hide-and-seek at Boone’s Winter Park apartment. However, the situation escalated fatally when Boone allegedly zipped Torres into the suitcase, later claiming she had forgotten about him. Torres’ body was discovered the next day when Boone reported the incident to law enforcement, maintaining it was an accident.

Investigators found Boone’s explanation inconsistent with the evidence. The recorded videos and the autopsy, which confirmed suffocation as the cause of death, were pivotal in securing the conviction.

Aftermath
Following the sentencing, Boone will be transferred to the custody of the Florida Department of Corrections, where she will serve her life sentence without the possibility of parole.

This case underscores the judicial system’s commitment to ensuring justice for victims of domestic violence and upholding public safety.

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Crimes and Courts

Charles Bell Jr. Found Guilty of Murdering Ex-Wife in Okeechobee

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Charles Bell Jr. Found Guilty of Murdering Ex-Wife in Okeechobee
Charles Bell Jr. Found Guilty of Murdering Ex-Wife in Okeechobee | Florida National News

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. (FNN) – After a three-day trial, an Osceola County jury convicted Charles Bell Jr., 73, of Second Degree Murder (with a Firearm) for the 2021 fatal shooting of his ex-wife, Patricia Anne Davis, at her home in Okeechobee. Bell now faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for December 17, 2024.

Case Details

  • Incident Date: August 28, 2021.
  • Location: 5600 block of Magnolia Court, Okeechobee.
  • Victim: Patricia Anne Davis, 68, found deceased from multiple gunshot wounds in her yard.
  • Suspect: Charles Bell Jr., the ex-husband of Ms. Davis, seen leaving the scene on a golf cart.

Key Events Leading to Conviction:

  • Witness Accounts:
    • A neighbor saw Bell speeding away from Davis’ home on a golf cart and later heard him confess to killing someone.
    • Witnesses reported hearing gunshots near the time Bell visited Davis’ home.
  • Evidence Recovered:
    • Deputies found a handgun and matching ammunition hidden in the woods on Bell’s property.
    • Spent shell casings at the crime scene matched the recovered ammunition.
  • Defendant’s Statements:
    • Bell admitted visiting Davis that morning but denied harming her. He claimed he asked her to clean his house and left.

 


Trial Outcome
:

  • After deliberations, the jury convicted Bell of Second Degree Murder, citing compelling evidence and witness testimonies.

What’s Next?

  • Sentencing Date: December 17, 2024.
  • Possible Sentence: Bell faces a firearm minimum mandatory sentence of 25 years to life in prison, given the nature of the crime.
  • Victim’s Family Statement: Family members are expected to deliver impact statements during the sentencing hearing.

 

This case highlights the tragic outcomes of domestic disputes and the importance of vigilance in reporting suspicious activities. Follow www.FloridaNationalNews.com and Florida National News Facebook Channel for updates on this story and other local news.

_______________________________________________________________________________
J Willie David, III
Florida National News and FNN News Network
News@FloridaNationalNews.com

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