FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Broward Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer announced on Oct. 13 that a divided jury recommended life in prison without the possibility of parole as punishment for the Parkland school shooter on count eight of first-degree murder.
Count eight of 17 in the penalty phase is for the murder of Helena Ramsay who Nikolas Cruz killed on Feb. 14, 2018, at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, according to Scherer.
Helena, 17, a junior, was in classroom 1214 when she was shot four times and died of her wounds, according to Chief Assistant State Attorney Mike Satz. She dreamed of studying abroad, traveling the world, and working for the United Nations.
Dr. Marlon Osbourne, who performed the autopsy, said during his testimony in court on July 26, that Helena suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the head.
Interactive graphic: Understanding the choices jurors made on the verdict form
Helena’s mother and cousins react to the verdict
Testimony in court
Helena’s mother, Anne Ramsay, reads her victim impact statement
Interactive graphic on the penalty phase