A former Florida high school football star, Spencer Pearson, showed no emotion as he was sentenced to life in prison for a violent 2023 attack that left his girlfriend, 17-year-old Madison Schemitz, paralyzed. Pearson, now 20, stabbed Schemitz 15 times and then attempted to take his own life by slitting his throat, according to the Mirror.
During the sentencing, St. Johns County Circuit Judge R. Lee Smith said, “This court does not impose a sentence based on vengeance. There are just certain crimes that are committed that merit the maximum sentence possible … and this court finds that this is one of them.”
Pearson had pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree murder with a weapon and aggravated battery causing serious bodily harm. The crime followed weeks of stalking and harassment, detailed by Schemitz’s mother, Jacki Rogé, in a criminal complaint. Rogé reported that Pearson had been following her daughter to school, leaving notes on her car, and creating fake social media accounts after being blocked. Despite addressing her concerns with Pearson’s mother, no action was taken to stop his escalating behavior, Reported by Law & Crime.
The attack occurred on June 3, 2023, when Schemitz and her mother noticed Pearson sitting at a nearby table while dining at Mr. Chubby’s Wings in Ponte Vedra Beach. Feeling unsafe, they left the restaurant, but Pearson pursued them. Outside, he launched a vicious assault, holding Schemitz with one arm and stabbing her 15 times. Rogé intervened and was stabbed in the forehead and leg. A bystander managed to pull Pearson off but was also injured in the process. Pearson then turned the knife on himself, attempting to slit his throat multiple times in a failed suicide attempt.
During the trial, Pearson’s legal team argued that his age, lack of a criminal history, and struggles with mental health should be considered. However, Judge Smith determined the severity of the crime outweighed any mitigating factors. “The crime that was committed, the impact that this crime has had … just far outweighs any of the mitigation that the court has considered,” the judge said.
Schemitz, speaking at the sentencing, described the impact of the attack: “I’ve thought about this day, this moment, this statement for the last 538 days … living in true torment.” Pearson’s parents also expressed remorse, with his father tearfully saying, “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I pray for you to have peace and forgiveness.”
Before being escorted to begin his life sentence, Pearson was allowed to hug his parents and say goodbye. The sentencing brought a tragic chapter to an end for the families involved.