As Spencer Ross Pearson awaits his sentencing this Friday, after pleading guilty to the stabbing of his ex-girlfriend Madison Schemitz and her mother Jaclyn Rogé, his defense is paving a new legal path by introducing an argument of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Pearson, who was 18 at the time of the attack outside a Ponte Vedra Beach restaurant in June 2023, left Schemitz with injuries causing temporary paralysis. A bystander named Kennedy Armstrong was also injured while trying to help the victims, News4Jax reports.
In the courtroom, the defense will argue Pearson's case of CTE, which his lawyers suggest his history of playing tackle football from the young age of 6 through 18 may have been a contributing factor to his violent behavior. Pearson's attorneys have succeeded in delaying the sentencing, originally set for October, allowing time for their client to undergo MRI scans, as they revealed their discovery of new research that indicates CTE can potentially be diagnosed in living subjects, First Coast News reports.
While previously believed to be only confirmable posthumously, recent studies have suggested possible signs of CTE in brain scans of living individuals. Pearson's legal team has cited a 2023 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Neurology that found 41% of young athletes' brains, donated after death, had CTE. The athletes, participating in contact sports such as football and ice hockey, showed signs of behavioral and cognitive changes resembling increased aggression and impulsivity which were related to the neurodegenerative disease, News4Jax further explains.
Despite these advances in medical science, the use of CTE as a defense in violent crime cases has been met with skepticism and is generally unsuccessful. Forensic psychologist Dr. Justin D’Arienzo noted, "It is a progressive neurodegenerative brain disorder due to repeated injuries to the brain, and it can happen in sports and the military," according to a statement obtained by News4Jax.
The victim, Madison Schemitz, has captured public attention with her recovery and her advocacy for victims of domestic violence She has also collaborated with the family of Tristyn Bailey, a victim of a separate, fatal domestic violence case. In the wake of the attack and Pearson’s subsequent guilty plea, the community awaits the sentencing results, as well as a press conference from the prosecutor's office. According to Court TV, the office also plans to honor Rogé and Armstrong with the Carnegie Medal for their bravery during the attack.
