Nikolas Cruz’s birth mom had a violent, criminal past. Could it help keep him off Death Row?

[mystery-ak]

Nikolas Cruz’s birth mom had a violent, criminal past. Could it help keep him off Death Row?

By Carol Marbin Miller And Nicholas Nehamas

cmarbin@miamiherald.com

nnehamas@miamiherald.com

       

September 05, 2018 07:00 AM

Nikolas Cruz had two mothers: his birth mom, who gave him life, an almond-shaped head and auburn hair — and his adoptive mom, who gave him all the advantages of an upscale, suburban upbringing.

His birth mother, Brenda Woodard, was sometimes homeless, and panhandled for money on a highway exit ramp. His adoptive mother, Lynda Cruz, stayed home to manage a 4,500-square-foot, five-bedroom house in the suburbs, with a two-car garage and a sprawling yard. A career criminal, Woodard’s 28 arrests include a 2010 charge for beating a companion with a tire iron; she also threatened to burn the friend’s house down. Lynda Cruz had a clean record.

Woodard was so gripped by addiction she was arrested buying crack cocaine while pregnant with Nikolas. Lynda Cruz was known to drink wine, though not excessively.

Conventional wisdom suggests that Nikolas Cruz should have taken after the woman who raised him from birth, rather than the one who shared only his DNA. But little of Cruz’s story is conventional. While, by most accounts, Lynda Cruz was thoughtful and disciplined, her adoptive son was violent and impulsive — characteristics he seems to share with the birth mother he never knew.

Read more here: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/broward/article216909390.html#storylink=cpy

[Applewood]

Yeah, I'm sure Cruz's attorney will use this information to evoke sympathy for his client.  The attorney would be foolish not to -- particularly if the sentence  is up to a jury.  There are always jurors who fall for such a sob story. 

[Sanguine]

Nature is much stronger than we have given her credit for, and we know from twin studies that DNA is very influential regarding lifestyle preferences.  Identical twins raised apart not only look similar, they move and talk similarly and tend to go into the same types of careers, buy the same toothpaste and beer, and dress similarly, even if they have never met or didn't know of the other's existence.

That being said, a good home can mitigate some of the effects of heredity.  And, a human being always can make a choice to act in one way or another.

[Suppressed]

Nature is much stronger than we have given her credit for, and we know from twin studies that DNA is very influential regarding lifestyle preferences. 

Exactly.

This topic presents some very real dilemmas for conservatives of various stripes.  While many conservatives recognize the strength of nature, many others tend to be strongly "law and order" without regard for mitigating circumstances.  I think we'll see more and more evidence, however, that nature has a stronger influence than many would give credit for...and then there becomes the moral question of what level of culpability a person has if nature is so strong.

[goodwithagun]

The sheriff and various school personnel should be tried as well.

[mystery-ak]

My first son is adopted...I gave birth to our 2nd son...both raised in the same house, same parents, same values..etc.

The two couldn't be more farther apart in how they act..you would never guess they were raised in the same house.

I am a firm believer that genes/dna plays a huge part in who you are. I didn't believe this when we first adopted..I always thought the child's environment played the biggest part in his/her growth and development..not anymore

There are times I would love to meet or at least observe my son's biological parents cause I am willing to bet I will see my son in them.

[jmyrlefuller]

There is an inherent terror that comes with the idea that certain personality traits, including predisposition to violence, may be genetic. It flies flat in the face of the notion that we are all created equal.

[Sanguine]

There is an inherent terror that comes with the idea that certain personality traits, including predisposition to violence, may be genetic. It flies flat in the face of the notion that we are all created equal.

That's a good point: we are only created equal in the eyes of the law.  Not biologically, mentally, or physically.

[goodwithagun]

That's a good point: we are only created equal in the eyes of the law.  Not biologically, mentally, or physically.

I wonder if children in utero can sense if they are wanted or not?

[truth_seeker]

Not many generations ago, Cruz' classmates or family might have set him  straight.

But modern ideas block that. A parent that would physically punish bad behavior, is likely to have his power to do so, threatened by society, police, school administrators.

"Spare the rod, spoilt the child."

What I mean is, we once had the ability to reach in and over heredity.


The scientific findings, clash with "Wanna Feel Good."

FBI -DOJ stats have revealed blacks in America committing murder at 7 times the rate of whites. Very similar in the UK.

Kumbaya.

[goodwithagun]

Not many generations ago, Cruz' classmates or family might have set him  straight.

But modern ideas block that. A parent that would physically punish bad behavior, is likely to have his power to do so, threatened by society, police, school administrators.

"Spare the rod, spoilt the child."

What I mean is, we once had the ability to reach in and over heredity.


The scientific findings, clash with "Wanna Feel Good."

FBI -DOJ stats have revealed blacks in America committing murder at 7 times the rate of whites. Very similar in the UK.

Kumbaya.

If Cruz does have mental issues and that Bible quote was taken literally over a long period of time, that might be what made him snap. Often with people with mental health issues, the rod needs to be in the form of positive reinforcement instead of negative reinforcement. There are many out there that think they can spank the issues out of somebody. Please note: I AM NOT AGAINST DISCIPLINE. There are many forms of discipline and positive reinforcement typically works better with mental health patients.

[goatprairie]

Unless Cruz's parents trained him to go out kill people, the fact that his birth mother was a psycho is no excuse for what he did.
Many people have had criminal parents but didn't do evil deeds.
But we are ignoring the effect that executing him might have on future killers.  A number of people claim capital punishment doesn't deter murder,  but I think otherwise.
For one thing, a killer can't kill again.  This past summer a convicted murderer in the Minnesota state penitentiary in Stillwater killed a prison guard. Minnesota has no death penalty.
That happens more than you think. Paroled or escaped killers have killed hundreds if not thousands of innocent people.

[Fishrrman]

j. myrle wrote:
"There is an inherent terror that comes with the idea that certain personality traits, including predisposition to violence, may be genetic. It flies flat in the face of the notion that we are all created equal."

Did it ever occur to you that perhaps we.... weren't ...? And... aren't....?

And that Jefferson's famous lines in the Declaration might simply be "feel good rhetoric", with no basis in reality?

And if that's true, that many of our most cherished precepts might have been built upon a false foundation?

Just sumthin' to think over.

Recall if you will that for all his abilities, Mr. Jefferson was one of the first.... democrats.

[Sanguine]

j. myrle wrote:
"There is an inherent terror that comes with the idea that certain personality traits, including predisposition to violence, may be genetic. It flies flat in the face of the notion that we are all created equal."

Did it ever occur to you that perhaps we.... weren't ...? And... aren't....?

And that Jefferson's famous lines in the Declaration might simply be "feel good rhetoric", with no basis in reality?

And if that's true, that many of our most cherished precepts might have been built upon a false foundation?

Just sumthin' to think over.

Recall if you will that for all his abilities, Mr. Jefferson was one of the first.... democrats.

He was talking about in the eyes of the law.  He obviously knew that all men weren't "equal" in terms of abilities and characteristics.

[goodwithagun]

j. myrle wrote:
"There is an inherent terror that comes with the idea that certain personality traits, including predisposition to violence, may be genetic. It flies flat in the face of the notion that we are all created equal."

Did it ever occur to you that perhaps we.... weren't ...? And... aren't....?

And that Jefferson's famous lines in the Declaration might simply be "feel good rhetoric", with no basis in reality?

And if that's true, that many of our most cherished precepts might have been built upon a false foundation?

Just sumthin' to think over.

Recall if you will that for all his abilities, Mr. Jefferson was one of the first.... democrats.

Jefferson was writing about law not about personal traits.

[verga]

My first son is adopted...I gave birth to our 2nd son...both raised in the same house, same parents, same values..etc.

The two couldn't be more farther apart in how they act..you would never guess they were raised in the same house.

I am a firm believer that genes/dna plays a huge part in who you are. I didn't believe this when we first adopted..I always thought the child's environment played the biggest part in his/her growth and development..not anymore

There are times I would love to meet or at least observe my son's biological parents cause I am willing to bet I will see my son in them.

About 12 years ago we were going to adopt a sibling group. Part of the reason we cancelled it was that we got more and more information about the bio mom. 4 children by 3 different fathers, history of drug and alcohol abuse, etc....