ORLANDO, Fla. – The second day in the penalty phase for Scott Nelson, who was convicted last week of murder in the death of Winter Park caregiver Jennifer Fulford, continued Tuesday.
In shocking testimony from the stand last week, Nelson provided grave details about how he killed Fulford, 56, in September 2017.
Nelson was found guilty of first-degree murder, kidnapping, carjacking and robbery.
The first day of the penalty phase began with impact statements from Fulford's family.
Her daughter, Hanna Geist, and son, Austin Geist, spoke via video conference from Texas.
"To put a loss like this into words feels like a disservice. It's a tragedy. It's foreign. It's a language I don't know how to speak. It was never supposed to be this way," Hanna Geist said.
Fulford's husband told the jurors he wanted to focus on her life rather than her death.
"She loved life. She loved me. I will always love her," Robert Fulford said.
Day two of the penalty phase was filled with statements from those who know Nelson.
His oldest brother, James, was the first to take the stand and discussed the upbringing and abuse he, his brothers and mother faced from their father.
"He would throw things at you. He would get you into a corner and he would beat you with a belt and he would hit you with a buckle end of the belt. I grew up hearing my mother, (who) would repeatedly (be) saying to my father when he was doing this, 'Don't hit them in the head,'" Nelson's brother said.
Nelson's childhood friend also took the stand and noted the odd behavior his mother would have at times. Nelson's family said his mother suffered from schizophrenia.
"She was nice one minute and the next minutes, it was like, 'Who are you? What are your friends doing in the house?'" Clifford Benson Jr. said.
Two neurologists were called upon Tuesday to discuss Nelson's mental ability.
Court recessed at 5 p.m. and will continue Wednesday at 9 a.m.