Lawyers for the jilted Ponte Vedra man who repeatedly stabbed his ex-girlfriend outside a restaurant last year will try to lighten his sentence with testimony from a psychiatric expert who once assessed Casey Anthony, court papers state.
Spencer Pearson, 19, pleaded guilty in July to to two counts of attempted first-degree murder and one count of aggravated battery causing serious bodily injury for his frenzied ambush of former beau Madison Schemitz in June of 2023.
The softball star suffered severe injuries in the attack, which ended only when bystander Kennedy Armstrong intervened and wrenched the assailant off the teen.
Pearson’s September 13 sentencing will likely be delayed after a new push by his lawyers to lessen his term with fresh testimony from noted psychiatrist Dr. Harry Krop.
Krop has participated in thousands of court cases — and once interviewed Casey Anthony at the request of her attorneys back in 2011.
“Counsel for the defendant indicated that he would be providing a mental health evaluation report and supplementing discovery with the name of an expert psychologist to provide testimony at sentencing,” Assistant State Attorney Jennifer Stunton wrote in a filing last week.
Her office said it received a report from Krop on July 29, and that they intend to enlist their own expert, Dr. Gregory Prichard, to provide his own assessment.
Prichard, they wrote, would not be able to properly vet the case prior to the scheduled sentencing date, and that a delay was warranted.
The Schemitz family, they said, agreed to the change.
Prichard is slated to evaluate Pearson toward the end of October, which will likely delay sentencing for at least a month if not more.
The former couple were both standout athletes at Ponte Vedra High School: Schemitz in softball and Pearson in football.
Schemitz and her mother, Jaclyn Roge, were eating lunch at Mr. Chubby’s Wings when they spotted Pearson lurking outside.
They attempted to flee the scene, but were waylaid on route to their car and the assault unfolded.
Pearson, authorities said, had repeatedly stalked and threatened Schemitz prior to the attack.
He attempted to cut his own throat after stabbing Schemitz, and appeared in his mugshot with a laceration across his nick.
Schemitz was initially unable to walk but has since made steady progress in her rehabilitation — and was even able to walk across the stage at her high school graduation.
