“All of this made Cruz himself maybe one of many state’s finest witnesses,” mentioned David S. Weinstein, a Miami protection legal professional and former prosecutor who has been monitoring the trial.
The jury will seemingly resolve Cruz’s destiny this week. For the 24-year-old to get a demise sentence, the jury should be unanimous on a minimum of one sufferer. But when all 17 counts come again with a minimum of one vote in favor of life in jail, then that may be his sentence. Closing arguments are scheduled Tuesday, with deliberations starting Wednesday.
As a result of Cruz’s protection is that his delivery mom’s heavy consuming throughout being pregnant left him mind broken, prosecutors may have consultants look at him for his or her rebuttal case.
Scott and Denney interviewed him individually for a number of hours. In every, Cruz sat throughout the desk, handcuffed, a sweater draped over his chest. He generally requested for a pen and paper so as to add diagrams and drawings to his explanations.
“The query is: What is going to the jury take away from the interviews? Chilly-blooded killer who was vengeful and excited in regards to the murders, or an individual so hopelessly deranged that he can’t be something however loopy?” mentioned Bob Jarvis, a professor at Nova Southeastern College’s regulation faculty.
Cruz’s statements have been typically fairly cold-blooded and ruthless in discussing, as an example, how he deliberate the bloodbath.
“I did my very own analysis,” Cruz informed Scott. “I studied mass murderers and the way they did it, their plans, what they bought and what they used.”
He detailed the teachings he realized: Look ahead to would-be rescuers coming round corners, maintain a ways out of your focused victims, assault as quick as attainable — and “the police didn’t do something.”
“I’ve a small alternative to shoot individuals for perhaps 20 minutes,” Cruz mentioned.
He additionally defined why he stopped taking pictures.
“I couldn’t discover anybody to kill,” he mentioned. “I didn’t wish to do it anymore and I didn’t suppose there was anybody else within the constructing.”