Killer’s outburst draws rebuke from judge
Nelson interrupted an exchange about his use of racial slurs
A judge warned Scott Edward Nelson he could be removed from his own murder trial after the convicted killer interrupted a prosecutor, who was asking a witness about Nelson’s use of racial slurs.
“I’m not a racist,” Nelson interjected.
Jurors are deciding whether Nelson, 55, should spend the rest of his life in prison or be executed after he was found guilty last week of kidnapping 56-year-old Jennifer Fulford from her employer’s Winter Park home during a 2017 robbery and then killing her.
Nelson’s outburst on Wednesday happened as Assistant State Attorney Kenneth Nunnelley questioned Tim Gravette, a retired associate warden from the Federal Bureau of Prisons who was asked by Nelson’s attorneys to look over his prison records. Nelson spent about 25 years in prison, and his attorneys have said most of that time was in solitary con
finement.
Nunnelley asked Gravette about records showing Nelson’s use of racial slurs while incarcerated.
Gravette said Nelson “couldn’t keep his mouth shut” and had somehow offended “everyone but the Hispanics,” including a white gang and group of African American Muslims. Nelson spent about 95 percent of his time in a special housing unit, partially because he was bullied for cooperating with law enforcement and testifying against his cellmate, according to the testimony.
When Nunnelley asked Gravette whether Nelson had “adverse effects” from his time in special housing, Nelson said, “He’s out of control.”
As Circuit Judge Keith White and his attorneys tried to quiet him, Nelson continued, “I’m not a racist.”
After the jury left the room, Nelson said to his attorneys, “I’m not going to have that man cackling like an idiot and bastardizing the process of this trial. I am demanding that we have a mistrial right now. We’ve been through enough. He called me a racist in front of five black jurors.”
White reprimanded Nelson, telling him he could be removed if he violated the court’s decorum policy a third time. On Tuesday, Nelson told Nunnelley to “shut up” as Nelson’s brother testified. Nelson told White it wouldn’t happen again.
The trial’s penalty phase will resume Monday with the defense’s remaining witnesses.