Crime Fix with Angenette Levy - Judge Locks up Florida Teen for Stabbing High School Ex-Girlfriend

Starting point is 00:00:00 Wondery Plus subscribers can binge all episodes of this law and crimes series ad-free right now. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Your Honor, a 17-year-old girl should not know the feeling of getting stabbed. Your Honor, I should not have to remember the feeling of my body being inflicted with a knife over and over again. Thankfully, Madison Shemmits survived that attack by her ex-boyfriend. Now Spencer Pearson has learned his punishment for nearly killing Schemitz, wounding her mother and a good Samaritan. I'm here before you today to take responsibility for my actions of June 3rd, 2023. And most importantly, I'm here to express my sincerest apology to Madison, Mr. Roger,

Starting point is 00:00:44 Mr. Armstrong. I have the emotional sentencing and why the story isn't over. Welcome to Crime Fix. I'm Manjanette Levy. Madison Chemitz was nearly killed in June of 2023 when her ex-boyfriend, Spencer Pearson, attacked her with a knife at a restaurant in Ponte Vedra, Florida. Her mother, Jackie Rogue, was also injured trying to save her daughter, and a man named Kennedy Armstrong stopped the attack. The case is absolutely terrifying, and now Spencer Pearson has learned his punishment for the crimes. You'll hear from him, and more importantly, you'll hear from Madison Shemitz later. But first, a recap of how we got

Starting point is 00:01:22 to this point. Madison was a 16-year-old girl who had dated Spencer for a relatively short amount of time, about six months. Spencer was a star football player and couldn't handle being told no, that the relationship was over. It was a sunny day when Madison and her mom went to Mr. Chubby's Wings for lunch. Spencer Pearson showed up and attacked Madison, stabbing her 15 times. Her mom tried to fight off Pearson. Kennedy Armstrong intervened.

Starting point is 00:01:49 The body camera footage of the aftermath from the St. John's County Sheriff's Office is chilling. The EMTs and the deputies found an awful scene. There was a man laying on the ground wounded, and he's being treated for stab wounds. What is wrong with you? Hey, stay away. Okay? Yeah, there you go. Release him.

Starting point is 00:02:13 Give me that third rescue kit. All three are really live and unresponsive. I had a large hurt check here. One stab in the chest. I had a stab in the chest. An EMT worked desperately to save a man who's laying on the ground wounded. I need a crank kit from the airway back. Can you get an airway back for us? Airway back.

Starting point is 00:02:41 Oh, he's got it. That man who was wounded is Spencer Pearson. Pearson had tried to cut his own throat, and he is the suspect in this case who attacked Madison Shemitz and her mom. Who was actually cutting himself? Was it this guy or? Yes, this guy. He's the bad guy. The guy in the pink saved them he ran from across the park and got him apart we parked when i walked up he was lying here cutting his head and i was like i was like dude so i just got on top of him but he had so much he was still like

Starting point is 00:03:22 all right madison's mother had tried to stop Spencer Pearson. And as you just heard, a man in a pink shirt, Kennedy Armstrong was hurt as he tried to stop Pearson. My husband's the one that got it away from him. He was cutting his neck. He was cutting his neck and my husband stopped him and threw it, got it away from him. I just wanted to make sure you knew that. Thank you. Appreciate it. I want to hold on. Deputies gathered as much information as they could, interviewing a server who spoke

Starting point is 00:03:53 with Madison's mom right before the attack. The mother pulled me outside and asked me if the kid was eating or if he was just there by himself. And I was like, well, he's eating. And she was like, oh, okay. And I was like, is everything all right? And she said that they had, you know, just some kid stuff going on. They had broken up. Deputies also interviewed witnesses, including the people who stopped Spencer Pearson. Love you, ma'am. Love you, brother. So what the f*** happened? I just backed my truck in, got off of work, and I see the f***ing guy on top of that girl right there there. Okay. I saw that and I just, I heard yelling. I ran over and knocked him off and I guess when I knocked him off, sliced me. Where's your wallet at? I gave it to him right there. Who's got his wallet? I just need his wallet. I'm just going to write everything down.

Starting point is 00:04:39 Kennedy Armstrong saved Madison's life. Dan, you're a f***ing hero, man. You are a hero. Like, you... Yeah, bro. You're my hero, brother. I want to tell you about Upside. It's a free app that gets you cash back on things like gas and groceries and restaurants. This is real cash back.

Starting point is 00:04:57 It's money that appears in your Upside app that you can transfer straight into your bank account. I used Upside when I went to Dunkin' recently for a cup of tea. I claimed an offer for Dunkin' on the app, paid as usual using a card and followed the steps, and I got cash back. It's so easy. You can also use Upside at places like Shell, Exxon, 7-Eleven, Taco Bell, and that's just to name a few. To find out how much you could earn, click the link in the description to download Upside or scan the QR code on your screen and use our promo code CrimeFix to get an extra 25 cents back on every gallon on your first tank of gas. That's promo code CrimeFix for extra cash back. Madison later met Armstrong.

Starting point is 00:05:35 A photo of that meeting was posted on her GoFundMe page. Madison Victoria Shemmings. And this past May, Madison walked onto the stage at Ponte Vedra High School to thunderous applause where she collected her high school diploma. Then in July, Spencer Pearson pleaded guilty to two counts of first degree attempted murder and one count of aggravated battery causing serious bodily injury. Now to the sentencing hearing. Spencer Pearson's attorneys argued that he was suffering from depression as they asked the judge to give him less time than a life sentence. Spencer Pearson's father, Daniel, testified and apologized to Madison, her mother, and Kennedy Armstrong. The first thing I want to say is I want to address the victims,

Starting point is 00:06:26 Madison, Jackie, Kennedy. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry this happened to you. Madison, you were always so sweet coming over. You were such a beautiful person to be around. You were so good to our family. I'm sorry this happened to you. I think about you every day. I pray for you every day. You're a sweet soul. You're a beautiful person.

Starting point is 00:07:02 I know that. I'm sorry. Jackie, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I know you've had to go through a world of hurt and just dealing with all of this. I'm sorry. I pray for you to have peace and I, uh, and forgiveness. And I just can't say I'm sorry enough. Y'all don't deserve this. Kennedy, thank you. Thank you for saving multiple lives. You are a hero. Daniel Pearson was asked about his concerns regarding his son's mental health and whether he sought help for him. And so prior to that here tomorrow, those two sessions in April 13, 2023, he had never seen a psychologist or a licensed mental health counselor for any reason? No.

Starting point is 00:08:13 Okay. You said, though, he's been struggling with anxiety and issues. I believe you all have reported as young as elementary school, correct? Well, we saw anxiety there, but it was nothing that held him back. He still did well in school. I guess I would say it just wasn't crippling to him. The Pearsons also said Spencer had suffered a number of hits while playing high school football that may have impacted him negatively, but prosecutors questioned that assertion you testified earlier that i mean i understand you said it was an estimation of 10 000 hits but those are hits it's fair to say not all to his head hits on the

Starting point is 00:08:57 field correct um well i think it would be safe to say that they were hits to the head based on his position. He was playing defensive line for almost his entire football time frame. And so when you talk about this, you're just estimating based on games and practices per game. And so that's similar to any, at least I think it's fair to say, similar to any football player in his position. Correct. The man who saved Madison's life, Kennedy Armstrong, spoke about the trauma that he suffered from this attack. This guy could not handle a breakup and proceeded to plan the murder of Madison. His ex-internet leave a family grieving while he took the cowardly way out. A man who could not handle a breakup decided to take the time to stalk,

Starting point is 00:09:47 stab, and try to kill a young woman. Doing so impacted many lives, families, friends, and those in our community. Laying the trial on one unit, Shands, on the night of June 3rd, 2023, left me with many thoughts. First being, are those women alive? Second being, why did this happen? Third, will my hand ever work again? I had my hand essentially cut in half, skin flapping, seeing your own bones, along with your own blood spewing from a separate artery was something most can't imagine. I had to control and monitor every single breath to ensure I wasn't losing any more blood than I already had, all while separating myself to make sure our amazing first responders got to Madison and Miss Jackie first. God bless the

Starting point is 00:10:23 first responders. Laying in the trunk unit responders. Well, I was praying for Jackie. After nine hours of being in the main Trump, I finally got my room. I thought that would bring a chance to sleep however that did not. I kept praying for the woman whom at the time I did not know and also refusing to close my eyes because every time I did I saw the staff again, including the cowardly act he did to himself. And then it was time for Madison Shemitz to speak. With the help of a deputy, Madison walked to the witness stand to confront the man who nearly took her life. Before I begin, I'd like to preface the statement by explaining just how incredibly difficult this is to not only set my pride aside aside but to vulnerably open up in front of this courtroom the defendant and his family is difficult i say this

Starting point is 00:11:09 because throughout this process i've carried myself with grace and truthfully i have not opened up in front of others the way i'm about to i say i'm setting my pride aside because truthfully i do not believe the defendant nor his family deserve to hear any of the negative ways this experience has impacted me let alone get to hear all of the positive things I've done after it. Madison Schemitz then described how the brief relationship she had with Spencer Pearson impacted her so negatively. Throughout the barely six months I was in a relationship with him, I had felt stripped of everything I knew I truly deserved. I knew not only did I not feel happy, I felt suffocated, trapped, manipulated, and controlled. I knew that the relationship was giving me far less than what I deserved.

Starting point is 00:11:46 As someone who truly takes pride in the humans they know they are, I knew I had every right to put myself first and leave the relationship. Madison went on to describe how she felt fear, ending the relationship with Spencer Pearson. Not even 24 hours after the breakup, the stalking began. As I innocently sat in a Davis Park parking lot with a few friends after a softball game, the defendant decided to show up. Not only did he show up uninvited, he showed up unannounced and unwarranted. Then Madison Schemitz recalled what happened that day at Mr. Chubby's wings.

Starting point is 00:12:15 June 3rd, 2023 was without a doubt the absolute worst, most traumatic day of my life, and I remember every single second of it. After going back and forth on what to do, we paid our check and decided to leave the restaurant. At 428, myself, my mom, my life, and I remember every single second of it. After going back and forth on what to do, we paid our check and decided to leave the restaurant. At 4.28, myself, my mom, my friend, and her mom all stood up and walked out. Never in a million years did I think that I would never end up making it to my car. I remember walking to the parking lot, texting a friend back, and taking a picture of the defendant's truck. I did this knowing I had to continue to keep track of the defendant's behaviors and appearances for the restraining order we were in the process of trying to obtain. I remember finally reaching my car and hearing my mother scream. Knowing my mother,

Starting point is 00:12:53 I could hear her fear. I could hear that whatever was happening was not good. This was when, at 4.30 p.m. on June 3, 2023, I turned around and saw the defendant running towards me faster than I had ever seen him run before. Not knowing what was coming next, I turned and attempted to go in the opposite direction. This was when the defendant had grabbed me. I hit the ground. I began feeling the attack. I remember being on my hands and knees, begging for the defendant to get off me with my screams slowly becoming more and more silent. I remember staring at the ground, my thoughts being muffled by my mother's constant scream. The scream that had first alarmed me did not stop throughout the entirety of the attack. And frankly, I can still hear it to this day.

Starting point is 00:13:29 Madison Shemit spoke for 40 minutes about fighting to survive this attack, how she prayed that she would live. She was paralyzed and then spent months and months in physical therapy. And she still suffers from PTSD. But she graduated from high school and is now in college. Your Honor, I could talk for hours on end about the way that the defendant has negatively impacted each of our lives, but I think after each of these impact statements, it is apparent, it is real, it is constant, and it is daily. Every day is a reminder of the trauma we all endured on June 3rd, 2023. Every day is a reminder of the trauma we all endured on June 3rd, 2023. Every day I'm affected by the physical and mental impacts of the defendant's actions,

Starting point is 00:14:10 and every day is a reminder of just how cruel, monstrous, and evil the defendant truly is. There is no excuse for his actions. There will never be an excuse. On that day, the defendant chose to try and take my life. He chose to try and take my mother's life and he chose to severely harm a good and innocent stranger your honor i can confidently say i am one of the least deserving human beings to have to have to go through what i have been forced to go through your honor this is something i will have to deal with for the rest of my life something i should never have to deal with and something the defendant should never have the opportunity to do again your honor on june 3rd 2023 i was given my own life sentence by the defendant should never have the opportunity to do again. Your Honor, on June 3rd, 2023, I was given my own life sentence by the defendant, and I plead with you that the defendant receives the same justified sentence and

Starting point is 00:14:50 deserve punishment. Thank you. Spencer Pearson made a plea for mercy, apologizing to Madison, her mom, and Kennedy Armstrong. Your Honor, I'm here before you today to take responsibility for my actions of June 3rd, 2023. And most importantly, I'm here to express my sincerest apology to Madison, Ms. Roge, Mr. Armstrong. I'm sure June 3rd was the worst day of their lives. It was also the worst day of mine and always will be. On this day, I hurt three innocent people. I think of my terrible crimes committed every second of every day.

Starting point is 00:15:27 It's on my mind constantly, and this will never, ever change. I pray that Madison, Ms. Roger, and Mr. Armstrong make full recoveries. I can't begin to imagine what I've put them through and the negative effects I've had on everyone involved. I understand the anger and hatred they all have for me. I will never understand any negativity or ill will directed towards my family regarding this subject. They did not do this. I did. There are good people trying to do good in this world, not evil. My parents tried their absolute best to give me help. With the limited knowledge and the time they had.

Starting point is 00:16:10 They are completely devastated, and they want their son to get help more than anything. Your Honor, I try my best to live myself after what I've done, but I just don't know how. I need serious help, and I have for a long time. And I'm so sorry for what this has come to, and I'm so sorry for my actions. In the end, the judge was not swayed by Spencer Pearson's words or the words of his parents or the psychologist who evaluated him. That crime, the crime that was described and shown here today, and the result of that crime, and the impact of this crime that it has had on all three of the victims in this case, leads this court to the conclusion that any deviation below the guidelines is inappropriate.

Starting point is 00:17:07 So I'm declining and denying the defendant's motion for downward departure. Spencer Pearson sat at the defense table awaiting the judge's decision, seemingly resigned to his fate. I have considered the mitigating circumstances that have been well presented by the defense in this case. Mr. Kachurgis, you have done an excellent job in representing your client and providing this court with mitigation. And this court has carefully thought and weighed and considered your client's age, his lack of any prior criminal history, the fact that he was suffering from a depressive, clearly a depressive state of mind when this happened. At his age, you were sentenced to serve the remainder of your life in prison. Spencer Pearson has been sentenced to life in prison. Madison Shemmings and her family are

Starting point is 00:18:24 now suing Spencer Pearson's parents and the restaurant where she was eating when she was stabbed for $50 million. The suit claims Pearson's parents did not get him the help that he needed and the restaurant failed to provide security to protect Madison and her mom, Jackie. And that's it for this episode of Crime Fix.

Starting point is 00:18:42 I'm Anjanette Levy. Thanks so much for being with me. I'll see you back here next time.

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Crime Fix with Angenette Levy - Judge Locks up Florida Teen for Stabbing High School Ex-Girlfriend

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Crime Fix with Angenette Levy - Judge Locks up Florida Teen for Stabbing High School Ex-Girlfriend

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