ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. (Court TV) – A Florida man who pled guilty to an attack on his ex-girlfriend and her mother will spend life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Spencer Pearson had faced 18 years to life—and his attorneys argued for a sentence below 18 years—but Judge Lee R. Smith announced, “Any deviation below the guidelines is inappropriate.”
FILE – Spencer Pearson (St. John’s County Sheriff’s Office)
Pearson, 20, was arrested in June 2023 for stabbing Madison Schemitz and her mother, Jaclyn Rogé, outside a Ponte Vedra Beach restaurant. Schemitz, who was 17 years old at the time, was temporarily paralyzed after being stabbed more than a dozen times.
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Pearson had been harassing his ex-girlfriend for months, according to an arrest warrant. The attack happened as the mother and daughter were trying to leave the restaurant after spotting Pearson. Kennedy Armstrong, a bystander, was injured in the attack while trying to help Schemitz.
A warrant stated Pearson also “sliced his own throat several times, telling witnesses he was attempting to kill himself.”
In July, Pearson pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted first-degree murder and one count of aggravated battery causing serious bodily injury.
The courtroom was packed at Pearson’s sentencing hearing, with the victims sitting side by side in the front row of the gallery, surrounded by family and friends.
The lead detective in the case testified first, introducing surveillance video with multiple angles inside and outside of the restaurant where the stabbings took place. From interviews with Schemitz and her mother, investigators learned that Pearson had been stalking his ex-girlfriend, leaving notes on her car, following her, creating fake social media accounts to communicate with her, and sending a picture of himself attempting suicide with a tie.
Pearson’s father took the stand and spoke about how fond his family was of Schemitz and how difficult his son took their breakup. Pearson’s father tearfully described his son’s attempted suicide before the attacks – where he and his wife found their son hanging himself in his closet using a necktie, and immediately sought mental help for their son. Daniel Pearson then turned to the victims and held back tears as he apologized for his son’s actions and thanked Kennedy Armstrong for saving multiple lives, including his son. “What a hero, Pearson’s father said, I think you also saved my son, even though you didn’t intend to. I thank you for that.”
MORE | Spencer Pearson’s Mother: ‘We Tried to Get Spencer Help’
Neurologist Dr. Mark Rubino, who also testified in Wade Wilson’s double murder trial, opined that due to repeated head injuries from football, Pearson appeared to have developed maldevelopment to his frontal lobe, which could contribute to impulsivity and the inability to appreciate the consequences of his actions.
A forensic psychologist hired by the defense, Dr. Harry Krop, testified about his diagnosis: Major depressive disorder with psychotic features, social anxiety disorder, social phobia, and while he ruled out bipolar disorder, he did believe he was on the autism spectrum disorder.
Schemitz has documented her recovery on social media and advocates for victims of domestic violence. Schemitz has also worked with the family of Tristyn Bailey, who was killed by Aidan Fucci in 2021.
Following the proceedings, prosecutors and the sheriff’s office held a press conference where the Carnegie Medal was presented to Rogé and Armstrong.
