Nikolas Cruz sentencing trial: Parkland gunman started taking behavioral medication at age 6

FORT LAUDERDALE — Testimony in the death penalty phase of the Nikolas Cruz trial is set to continue Wednesday afternoon at 1pm EDT in a Fort Lauderdale courtroom.

This week, the defense team for the Parkland school shooting gunman will continue to call witnesses in its effort to win Cruz a life sentence without the possibility of parole.

On Monday, the team, made up of Broward County public defenders, called three witnesses to the stand, following 10 others last week. They included an elementary school teacher, a family friend and a speech pathologist who knew Cruz has a child.

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Cruz pleaded guilty in 2021 to killing 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14, 2018, and wounding 17 others. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.

The 12-person jury will recommend whether Cruz, then 19 and now 23, is put to death or sentenced to life in prison. If it recommends death, a move that must be unanimous, Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer will make the final ruling, likely sometime this fall.

The Palm Beach Post is covering the daily proceedings live.

Pharmacist: Cruz started taking medications at age 6, went months without seeing doctors 

Susan Skolly-Danziger, a clinical pharmacist, reviewed Cruz's medication history.

Cruz was first prescribed medication for his behavioral issues when he was 6, Skully said. She testified that he went through stretches — 13 months, at one point — without seeing a doctor.

Cruz was likely not on any medication about five months before the shootings in Parkland, she said.

Skully said Cruz is presently prescribed Olanzapine, which is used to treat people "with abnormal thought disorders" including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Counselor: 'Insecure' Cruz feared others would see graded scores

Nikolas Cruz was so concerned what others thought about him that he refused to let anyone see his grades at Westglades Middle School, his former ESE counselor said Tuesday.

"If a teacher would pass out graded work, he would grab it and quickly crumble it up and shove it in his bookbag, not even knowing if he passed or not," Jessica Clark Flournoy testified.

"He was very insecure about his abilities," she added.

Clark Flournoy counseled Cruz for most of three years from 2011-2013. At first, Cruz "really tried" in the classroom, but it did not result in many successes.

"He had little moments on the upswing, but it wasn't sustainable," Clark Flournoy said.

Cruz also floundered socially, she said.

"He wanted to be liked," Clark Flournoy said. "He struggled making friends. He really wanted to be accepted by his peers."

Cruz eventually left Westglades Middle and was enrolled at Cross Creek, a Pompano Beach school for children with severe emotional and behavioral disorders.

Witness: Lantana woman 'manipulated' Cruz's mother

Before he killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Nikolas Cruz lived for about one month in the Lantana-area mobile home belonging to Rocxanne Deschamps.

According to Deschamps, she honored the wishes of Lynda Cruz by taking in her two adopted sons, Nikolas and Zachary, after she died. Deschamps and the Cruz family lived next door to one another in Parkland around 2009.

But Finai Browd, a longtime friend of Lynda Cruz, cast doubt on that story during recorded testimony that was played in court Tuesday morning.

Browd said Deschamps "took advantage" and "tried to manipulate" Lynda Cruz.

"I never thought in my life I would hate someone, but I hate her," Browd said.

Lynda Cruz died in November 2017, and her sons moved in with Deschamps a few days later.

Browd said she believed Lynda Cruz would have preferred the boys live with her. But after Lynda Cruz's death, Browd said Nikolas and Zachary went through their mother's cellphone and found Deschamps' number.

"I don't think she did anything to help her," Browd said of Deschamps.

Did Deschamps take advantage of Lynda? Assistant State Attorney Jeff Marcus asked.

"Absolutely 100,000%," Browd responded.

Nikolas Cruz would stay with Deschamps only about a month — he wanted to bring a gun into her home and she refused. He left and moved in with James and Kimberly Snead, parents of one of Nikolas’ friends, in Parkland. That’s where Nikolas lived at the time of the massacre.

Zachary, however, stayed with Deschamps.

Jorge Milian is a journalist covering Boynton Beach and Lake Worth Beach at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jmilian@pbpost.com and follow him on Twitter at Caneswatch. Help support our work, subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Nikolas Cruz sentencing trial: Gunman started on medication at age 6