Juror in Nikolas Cruz Parkland trial says she was ‘threatened’ by another panelist in deliberation

A member of the jury that recommended a life sentence to Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz this week claimed she was threatened by another juror during deliberations.

Prosecutors in the case are now calling for law enforcement to interview the unnamed juror after she told the state attorney’s office “she received what she perceived to be a threat.” 

“Juror X spoke to a support staff member and informed the support staff member that during deliberations she received what she perceived to be a threat from a fellow juror while in the jury room,” a court filing read.

“The State did not call Juror X back and instead, filed a Notice to the Court.” 

News of the alleged threat comes hours after Cruz was spared the death penalty, and instead recommended to serve life in prison without the possibility of parole. Cruz pleaded guilty last year to killing 14 students and three staff members in the Feb. 14, 2018 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. 

According to the motion filed Thursday evening by the Broward County State Attorney’s Office, “Juror X” was called to the state attorney’s office at 2 p.m. Friday to speak with Assistant State Attorney Michael Satz, who was lead prosecutor during the trial. 

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During the hearing, prosecutors emphasized the motion was filed solely over safety concerns, and that the state attorney’s office wouldn’t be involved.

“Frankly, we don’t want to touch this with a 10-foot pole because we know that the defense will be jumping up and down and saying that we are trying to undermine the verdict, which we are not trying to do,” prosecutor Carolyn McCann said.

“The only reason we are doing this is that we cannot ignore a safety issue,” McCann added.

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Judge Elizabeth Scherer agreed.

The jury of seven men and five women had to reach a unanimous vote on at least one of the 17 counts it was considering in order to recommend the death sentence.

The jury concluded that while there was enough to warrant death, “mitigating circumstances” presented at the trial led the group to recommend Cruz spend life in prison.

Three jurors voted for life on the final ballot, jury foreman Benjamin Thomas told local reporters. Two were willing to reconsider but one was a “hard no” for death, he said.

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“It really came down to a specific [juror] that he [Cruz] was mentally ill,” Thomas said.

In a note to the judge Thursday, juror Denise Cunha defended her decision to vote for a life sentence. She denied intending to vote that way ahead of the trial.

“The deliberations were very tense and some jurors became extremely unhappy once I mentioned that I would vote for life,” Cunha wrote, without elaborating further.

It’s unclear if Cunha is the juror who made the threat claims.

Victims’ loved ones expressed disgust after the verdict was read, and many denounced the decision, saying it was inadequate considering Cruz’s cold-blooded actions.

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One parent, during a press conference, called Cruz an animal that “deserves to die.”

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis also expressed disappointment with the jury’s decision, saying: “I just don’t think anything else is appropriate except the capital sentence in this case.”

Cruz will officially be sentenced by Scherer on Nov. 1.

With Post wires