A Florida man who stabbed his ex-girlfriend and her mother in the parking lot of a restaurant will never walk free again.
St. Johns County Judge R. Lee Smith sentenced Spencer Ross Pearson to life in prison for the brutal stabbing of his ex-girlfriend Madison Schemitz, her mother Jaclyn "Jacki" Roge, and a stranger. Pearson pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted first-degree murder with a weapon and aggravated battery causing serious bodily injury with a weapon.
“There are just certain crimes committed that merit the maximum possible sentence and this court finds one of them. You are sentenced to serve the remainder of your life in prison,” said Smith during the sentencing hearing, according to Action News Jax.
On June 3, 2023, officers responded to a restaurant’s parking lot at Ponte Vedra Beach after reports of a stabbing involving multiple victims. According to prosecutors, Pearson had decided to commit suicide by Pearson slitting his throat while hearing the waves of the ocean at the beach after his break-up with Schemitz. Hence, the defendant decided to have a last meal at Mr. Chubby’s, a favorite restaurant he often visited with his dad.
Unbeknownst to Pearson, Schemitz and her mother also patronized the same restaurant that day, and when they walked out of the restaurant towards their car, the defendant followed behind. Soon, he attacked Schemitz, stabbing her 15 times, Roge in the forehead and leg as she tried to rescue her daughter. During the commotion, Pearson also slashed a stranger who was able to stop the attack.
All three victims survived the ordeal. However, Schemitz was left paralyzed from the chest down.
Two months before the attack, Pearson had attempted to end his life by hanging himself with a tie at his home, but his family and Schemitz were able to save him after they received a farewell message from the defendant. The 20-year-old Pearson, who had shown signs of low self-esteem and social anxiety since the third grade, was diagnosed with psychotic features, social anxiety disorder, a severe major depressive disorder with mood-congruent, and autism.
The defendant’s lawyers argued for a lesser sentence of 12 years in prison with 15 years of supervision and mental health counseling, claiming Pearson’s bout with anxiety had gotten worse with the head injuries he sustained as a high school football star while growing up in Keller, Texas.
The judge disagreed!
“This defendant launched a vicious attack on a 17-year-old girl … who had only weeks earlier done her part to try to save his life when he attempted suicide. The same person who tried to save his life he violently and viciously attacked. Any deviation below the [sentencing] guidelines is inappropriate,” said the judge, reported New York Post.
Pearson apologized to the victims and their families. After multiple surgeries, Schemitz was able to walk down the aisle to receive her high school diploma, and she’s currently a college freshman.
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