Watch Nanny Abduction Murder Trial with Fubo for $0 Today
Nanny Abduction Murder Trial
Cross-examination continued on the Defense's first witness during the penalty phase. James Nelson, Scott's older, brother explained what he went through as child and young teenager. Next, more of the defendant's family members came to his defense. After the long testimony from his older brother the jury listened to Scott's first cousin. The aim was to show how mitigating factors was serious enough for jurors not to send him to death row for killing Jennifer Fulford, an innocent nanny.
S1, EP42 "Defendant Clears Things Up"
Scott Nelson's defense was trying to spare his life for the capital murder of Jennifer Fulford. He took the stand in his motivation to let the jury know how maltreated he was as federal prison inmate in the past 25 years. There were clear discrepancies between the defendant and his legal team. While he wanted to testify to the jury about issues he believed they should know Nelson's lawyers thought otherwise believing it didn't help his case against life on death row.
S1, EP43 "I'M A Homicidal Maniac"
Scott Nelson believed the federal prison system turned him into an animal. He told jurors that he was a homicidal manic that wanted the death penalty. He testified to jurors on how his allegely brutal time in the penitentiary system led him to kill 56-year-old nanny, Jennifer Fulford, a woman he never met before. After his testimony his defense rested their case to jurors and the State began it's rebuttal case.
S1, EP44 "State's Rebuttal Case"
The State's rebuttal case was underway. This would be the last attempt by them to convince the jury to recommend the death penalty for Scott Nelson in the murder of Jennifer Fulford. Prosecutors brought in a mental health expert who evaluated him. Three different doctors testified for the Defense's case claiming Nelson had mitigating factors that led him to murder which included serious cognitive impairment. Prosecutors wanted to challenge those assertions.
S1, EP45 "Personality-Driven Criminal Behavior"
Was it a major mental illness that caused Scott Nelson to kill Jennifer Fulford or was it personalty-driven? In the State's rebuttal, a forensic psychologist, who evaluated the defendant, concluded that his actions was due to flaw in his character. Dr. Greg Prichard dismissed Nelson's mental illness diagnosis concluding instead that he dealt with personality disorders that produced poor character flaws leading him to criminal behavior including the murder of this nanny.
S1, EP41 "Back To Testify"
The judge directly addressed Scott Nelson asking him if there was any more evidence he wanted to introduce to the jury. As he did in the guilt phase before being convicted of the murder of Jennifer Fulford, the defendant took the stand in his death penalty phase. He wanted to get back on the witness stand to make certain things known specifically his life as a federal prison inmate. Scott Nelson was determined to let the jury know about his mistreatment while incarcerated in federal prison.
S1, EP40 "Mental Health Decline"
Cross-examination continued the forensic psychologist who performed a full mental health evaluation of Scott Nelson. Dr. Valerie McClain testified that he suffered neurocognitive disorder which negatively affects his cognitive abilities like learning, memory, problem-solving and perception. Throughout the Defense's case jurors heard about his poor physical and mental Health. Ultimately, it would be up to them to decide whether these were serious mitigating factors to spare his life.
S1, EP39 "Personality Disorders"
The forensic psychologist on the stand went through her results of Scott Nelson's mental health evaluation. According to Dr. Valerie McClain, Nelson's ability to analyze a situation, problem solve, or even think rationally was negatively affected by his serious mental health decline. The doctor went on to claim that the lack of treatment for Nelson's mental health woes only exacerbated his behavioral problems. He allegedly lacked coping skills due to his cognitive impairment.
S1, EP38 "His Mental Health Evaluation"
Scott Nelson's mental health evaluation would be his defense's best evidence to spare his life from death row. On the stand was forensic psychologist Dr. Valerie McClain who evaluated the defendant. If his lawyers could convince the jury that he has significant psychological disorders and mental illness that may be enough to show Nelson wasn't fully cognitive aware on what he was doing when he kidnapped, robbed, and killed an Innocent Nanny.
