FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - Weeks after the Parkland shooter avoided the death penalty and was sentenced to life behind bars, expect a few more emotional days for the family and friends of the victims, as they are permitted the final word in Nikolas Cruz’s sentencing trial.
“That is the closing of a door, it’s the chapter. He doesn’t have a name anymore he’ll have a number,” said Debbie Hixon, whose husband passed in the tragedy, “and he’ll just not exist for me anymore.”
This week the gunman responsible for killing 17 and injuring 17 others at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, nearly five years ago, will be sentenced to life in prison.
The killer, whose motivation for murder was largely fame and notoriety, will disappear into the state prison system and will likely never be heard from again.
For Hixon, who lost her husband Chris Hixon, the healing can begin.
“He shouldn’t exist. We don’t want to see his face anymore. We don’t want to hear what happens about him. I don’t have a wish for him at all,” she said.
Earlier in October, a jury voted to spare the killer’s life indicating his cruelty that day did not outweigh the challenges of his life.
“The aggravating factors that were proven beyond a reasonable doubt outweigh the mitigating circumstances established: no,” said Judge Elizabeth A. Scherer as she read the jury’s verdict.
As the verdicts were read disbelief fell over the courtroom.
“We thought that we were finally going to get justice for what he did to Alex and all the innocent others,” said Max Schachter, whose son passed in the tragedy.
Instead, his punishment for the murders is life in prison.
It has cost more than $2.5 million to jail him, more than $2.3 million to prosecute him and his defense team another $1.3 million.
All said, more than $6 million have been spent, a tab that will continue for however long he lives in prison.
No price can be put on the lives he took, the hearts he broke and the dreams he ended.
But their memories will live forever, and the evil that took them now fades.
“Tomorrow, Wednesday, that ends this chapter, and we move on with just remembering Chris and the other 16, the bright lights that they were in our world,” said Hixon. “We honor them with positive action and no more of the ugliness.”
The proceedings are set to begin at 9 a.m Tuesday and is expected to run throughout the day and will conclude Wednesday afternoon.
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