ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A man convicted of kidnapping and killing a Winter Park nanny in 2017 testified Monday during the penalty phase of the case, saying that he wants to be executed.
Jurors are expected to begin deliberating Wednesday about whether to sentence Scott Nelson to life in prison or the death penalty. They found him guilty earlier this month of kidnapping and killing Jennifer Fulford, a Winter Park nanny, in 2017.
Should jurors wish to recommend that Nelson be sentenced to death, they must unanimously agree on that.
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"I am a homicidal maniac," Nelson testified Monday when asked about his mental health.
A prosecutor asked him if he wanted to be sentenced to death, to which he replied, "Yes."
During his bizarre testimony, Nelson said he had been tied up by Santa Claus in a federal prison cell and that he was a slave after he was released.
He claimed prosecutors were trying to catch him off guard with their questions and were trying to falsely portray him as a liar.
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Nelson said he could not think straight because his lawyers kept objecting to his testimony.
"Pound for pound, I'm probably the most honest inmate in the Federal Bureau of Prisons," he said.
Watch Nelson testify below:
Nelson's lawyers walked him through the crimes that he has been exposed to during his decades in prison for crimes, such as bank robbery.
"It's kind of sketchy for me, because I was unconscious," he said. "But I was raped. It wasn't the first time this had happened. This had happened to me before as well."
Nelson painted himself as a victim.
"I've been beaten up on Christmas morning," he said. "Four-pointed like a dog by Santa Claus. Can you imagine? Santa four-points you to a bed?"
Nelson again blamed Fulford's death on his homelessness and his homelessness on what he said were a bunch of crooked federal prison officials.
"Things were great," he said. "I was going from homeless on up. Now, I'm done. Done."
Earlier Monday, psychologist testified on Nelson's mental well-being.
Valerie McClain spent hours on the stand breaking down things that happened to Nelson in his childhood and adulthood that got him to where he is now.
McClain said Nelson had a traumatic childhood and spent years in solitary confinement as an adult.
McClain claims Nelson has post-traumatic stress disorder and other problems because he had an abusive father, absent mother and siblings who exposed him to alcohol and drug abuse from a young age.
McClain admitted that that Nelson is a known exaggerator and manipulator and that some of her findings are based on Nelson's own statements about what has happened in his life.
But she said her conclusions are still well-supported.
Closing arguments will begin Wednesday morning.
Nelson: “He was Santa. He was a mean Santa!” #WFTV
— Field Sutton (@EFieldSutton) July 8, 2019
Now Nelson is talking about his alleged mistreatment in prison: “I’ve been beaten up on Christmas morning. Four-pointed like a dog by santa clause. Can you imagine? Sante four-points you to a bed?” #WFTV
— Field Sutton (@EFieldSutton) July 8, 2019
Nelson recounts the story of his federal probation officer allegedly kneecapping his employment opportunities: “Things were great. I was going from homeless on up. Now, I’m done. Done.” #WFTV
— Field Sutton (@EFieldSutton) July 8, 2019
Nelson, after his attorney objects: “See, I get interrupted and it throws me off kilter. It just blows my mind.” #WFTV
— Field Sutton (@EFieldSutton) July 8, 2019
Nelson: “I worked myself to death trying to have this existence, because I abide by the law.” #WFTV
— Field Sutton (@EFieldSutton) July 8, 2019
Nelson claims the feds "lost" his Social Security card prior to releasing him: “Of course, sending someone to the street with nothing, a felon with a colostomy, and now no ID? Is there anything they could do to make it harder on me?” #WFTV
— Field Sutton (@EFieldSutton) July 8, 2019
Nunnelley is asking about where Nelson stayed while he was employed, prior to becoming homeless:“And that was a dry place to sleep, wasn’t it?"
— Field Sutton (@EFieldSutton) July 8, 2019
Nelson: "Well, showering with a garden hose in the alley, I guess you could say it was a dry place.” #WFTV
Nelson: “Why are you shifting the conversation? I told you I could prove something and now you want to know how many times I’ve been convicted of felonies. You thought it was three. I told you six. If you’d stop being so snippy, I’m more of a help to you than you realize.” #WFTV
— Field Sutton (@EFieldSutton) July 8, 2019
Nunnelley asks about proof for some of what Nelson is saying. Nelson says he has it. Nunnelley asks how many times he's been convicted of a felony. #WFTV
— Field Sutton (@EFieldSutton) July 8, 2019
Nunnelley is asking about Nelson's time in prison.
— Field Sutton (@EFieldSutton) July 8, 2019
Nelson: “Prison sex is like an oxymoron. It’s like a taboo and there’s all kinds of ramifications going on in there.” #WFTV
Nunnelley, beginning his cross: “Didn’t you kill Jennifer Fulford to avoid her testifying against you?"
— Field Sutton (@EFieldSutton) July 8, 2019
Defense: "Your honor I object. Outside the scope of direct."
Nunnelley: "You honor, may we approach?"
Judge: "Counsel, no not fight in front of the jury.”#WFTV
Defense, asking about his interactions with other people: “Do you find it difficult to deal with interruptions?"
— Field Sutton (@EFieldSutton) July 8, 2019
Nelson: "Yes, it’s almost painful for me.”#WFTV
Nelson: “My entire life I had been negative for Hepatitis C, but all of a sudden I was positive for Hepatitis C, with no treatment.” #WFTV
— Field Sutton (@EFieldSutton) July 8, 2019
Nelson is describing the prison sex assault he claims to have been victim of: “It’s kind of sketchy for me because I was unconscious. But I was raped. It wasn’t the first time this had happened. This had happened to me before as well.” #WFTV
— Field Sutton (@EFieldSutton) July 8, 2019
Defense, on why Nelson never got brain scans corroborating his claims of brain injuries: “Did you refuse to do that?"
— Field Sutton (@EFieldSutton) July 8, 2019
Nelson: "Yes I did."
Defense: "And why did you do that?"
Nelson: "I didn’t want it to delay the trial.”#WFTV
Defense: “Did you ever witness a murder while in prison?"
— Field Sutton (@EFieldSutton) July 8, 2019
Nelson: "Several, yes."
Defense: "Can you give us a number?"
Nelson: "I’ve seen three.”#WFTV
Nelson: “There’s no fans, there’s no air conditioning and no heat. It’s Kansas so it’s very very hot in there in the summer and very cold in the winter.” #WFTV
— Field Sutton (@EFieldSutton) July 8, 2019
Nelson is complaining about conditions in prison: “The fire alarm is an ear-shattering sound they keep going for hours as a punishment for someone having [forced a fire sprinkler to go off].” #WFTV
— Field Sutton (@EFieldSutton) July 8, 2019
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