A juror who opposed the death penalty for the man who murdered 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018 wrote the judge a letter denying rumors of bias and explaining that the jury discussions were “very tense.”
“The deliberations were very tense and some jurors became extremely unhappy once I mentioned that I would vote for life,” wrote juror Denise Cunha in the letter, according to The Associated Press.
Cunha told the judge that the allegation that she had made a decision against the death penalty before the trial began was untrue.
“I maintained my oath to the court that I would be fair and unbiased,” she said.
Defendant Nikolas Cruz, who pleaded guilty to the murders, was ultimately sentenced to life in prison after a three-month long trial.
The jury deliberated over the sentence for seven hours over the course of two days, rejecting the death penalty because of mitigating factors.
Cruz’s lawyers argued that the defendant suffered from fetal alcohol syndrome, causing brain damage, and saw his adoptive father die at five years old. They claimed that Cruz was raped by an older child when he was nine.
At least one juror of the 12 decided that the mitigating factors were enough to deny Cruz the death penalty, failing to meet the threshold of unanimity that is required for a death sentence under Florida law.
Family members of Cruz’s victims said that they were “beyond disappointed” at the verdict, the AP reported.
“We are beyond disappointed with the outcome,” said Lori Alhadeff, the mother of a 14-year-old murdered at the high school.
“This should have been the death penalty, 100% … I sent my daughter to school and she was shot eight times.”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis also condemned the decision, saying: “I just don’t think anything else is appropriate except a capital sentence.”
“Our justice system should have been used to punish this shooter to the fullest extent of the law,” he said.