Nikolas Cruz, the mass shooter of Parkland, is believed to be starring in a reality show about his life, where his innocent brother, who was previously charged with trespassing at his school, was tragically murdered at the age of 17.
In the sentencing trial of Cruz, where a jury will determine whether to sentence him to life imprisonment without the chance of release or capital punishment, it was anticipated that Zachary Cruz, aged 22, would provide testimony in support of the defense.
However, the defense was shocked in the courtroom after resting its case on September 14, notably still absent from the witness stand, with less than half of its witness list called by Zachary.
The 22-year-old released a statement, saying that he declined to testify further because he did not want to face alleged harassment from law enforcement.
He stated, “in an effort to apprehend me, inspect my residence, and impose a guardianship on me, Broward prosecutors collaborated with a racially biased Virginia Sheriff and a dishonest prosecutor.”
Zachary, the 14-month younger brother of the 23-year-old murderer Cruz, has been standing out as one of the deadliest school shootings in US history.
The tragedy claimed the lives of fourteen students and three educators. Students and personnel were fatally shot by Cruz, who utilized an Uber to reach Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida on Valentine’s Day 2018. Cruz was equipped with an AR-15 style firearm.
Zachary additionally made headlines following the assault, as the trial is shedding more light on Cruz and his behavior prior to the tragic shooting.
Here’s what we know about the younger sibling of Cruz.
Zachary shares the same biological mother as Cruz and was also taken in by Lynda and Roger Cruz.
Brenda Woodard, the boys’ birth mother, was employed as a sex worker, struggling with substance abuse and homelessness during her pregnancy with Cruz.
Woodard had a long history of drug and alcohol abuse and a long rap sheet dating back to at least the 1980s.
When Cruz came into the world, he was taken in by the Cruz family through adoption.
Roughly one year later, Zachary was born and was also embraced into the Cruz household, where the guardians brought up the boys collectively.
Danielle grew up in foster care with other biological relatives. Unlike Cruz and Zachary, Danielle also has an older sister who shares the same birth mother and also has brothers.
When Cruz was five and Zachary four, Roger passed away, leaving Lynda to raise the two boys on her own.
Lynda appeared to struggle with the behavior of both her sons in the decade before the 2018 attack, prompting dozens of calls to the police by her family at home.
As per official records, the Broward County Sheriff’s Office had 43 interactions with the Cruz family before the Parkland tragedy, out of which 21 included Cruz alone or both him and his sibling. Overall.
Lynda passed away at the age of 68, leaving the two boys without parents – tragically, just three months prior to the school shooting – in November 2018.
The media later released footage showing Zachary being permitted to reunite with his brother at the police station following the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
Following that, he was accused of developing a strong interest in the recognition his brother was receiving.
After being warned to stay away, he trespassed onto the site of the massacre at least three times, according to authorities.
As per an arrest report, Zachary, who reached the age of 18 just seven days after the tragic shooting incident, informed the authorities that he had visited the school with the intention to “contemplate on the school shooting and absorb all the details”.
Now, Zachary was overheard commenting on how the reputation would assist in attracting female interest and inquiring about the current popularity of the name, as mentioned by Nikolas’ accusers.
He was granted a six-month probation period for trespassing at the shooting location.
After his short time in prison, Zachary was mentored by Richard Moore.
The 18-year-old at that time received assistance from the duo when Zachary was apprehended in 2018. Nexus bond servicing company was established by Mr Moore along with his spouse Mike Donovan.
After being released, he relocated from Florida to Virginia to reside with the pair and their child.
They had never encountered each other before the massacre.
Mr Moore has participated in some of the proceedings and was observed at the courthouse when the defense commenced presenting its argument.
He previously stated that he does not endorse what Cruz did but believes “no one should confront this situation on their own”.
During the trial, prosecutors revealed that Mr. Moore regularly spoke to the shooter in prison and sent thousands of dollars to the jailhouse phone, referring to it as “this year’s commissary.”
They were charged with exploiting a mentally incapacitated person and obtaining money through false pretenses, resulting in a bond of $50,000. Both Mr. Donovan and Mr. Moore were arrested on October 5th on felony charges of exploitation.
Prosecutors also referred to a “reality program” showcasing Zachary.
Prosecutor Jeff Marcus stated that one of the episodes is titled “Being Zachary Cruz” and inquired if Danielle Woodard was familiar with the show.
Do you believe it would be suitable to exploit the tragic deaths of 14 children and three staff members at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School by either filming or producing a reality show centered around the brother of the mass murderer?
The defense lodged a protest and Judge Elizabeth Scherer sustained the protest but denied the defense’s request to exclude the question from the official transcript.
A Facebook profile named “Being Zach Cruz” and described as a television series showcases pictures of the 22-year-old.
The brother of alleged Parkland shooter, Zach Cruz, is adjusting to life after being tortured by the Florida police. He follows in the infamous footsteps of his brothers, outside the direct shadow. His bio reads: “Follow Zach Cruz.”
The post is followed by 118 social media individuals.
Zachary and Mr. Moore, both of whom had been called to testify for the defense, were expected to speak about their troubled upbringing, with the anticipation that it would resonate with Zachary.
However, even prior to the defense concluding, the two legal groups fought over their possible testimonial.
Attorneys for the two individuals have filed a motion requesting that prosecutors be prohibited from inquiring about certain matters, as they argue that some of these inquiries are ‘inappropriate’.
The judge rejected the motion and determined that both witnesses would be required to respond to all inquiries posed by the state.
The defense chose not to summon them to testify.