Nikolas Cruz's half-sister Danielle Woodard grilled about Zachary Cruz reality show during trial
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA: Nikolas Cruz's half-sister was questioned regarding her knowledge of a reality show involving the siblings' half-brother that allegedly capitalized on the Parkland school shooting. 35-year-old Danielle Woodard initially avoided the Florida prosecutor's inquiry about her knowledge of the reality TV program that follows Zachary Cruz in the time since the mass shooting.
Woodard was brought into the courtroom where she testified that her "baby brother," Nikolas Cruz, was born from their mother's "polluted womb." Woodard is currently awaiting trial on carjacking charges. She has a lengthy criminal record and has spent time in prison since she was a child. Richard Moore, Zach's foster father who took him in after the 2018 shooting, produced the reality show 'Being Zach Cruz,' which had previously aired on Unleashed TV. The show was last promoted at the end of 2021.
RELATE ARTICLES
'Poisoned in womb': Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz's defense claims he was 'BRAIN DAMAGED'
The show's description on its social media pages reads, "Follow Zach Cruz, the brother of the Parkland shooter, as he adjusts to life after being tortured by police in FL and outside the immediate shadow of his brother's infamous acts."
On the witness stand at her brother's execution trial on Monday, Woodard fired back at prosecutor Jeff Marcus, "What does that have to do with anything, sir?" The prosecutor pressed Woodard and asked, "Do you think it would be appropriate to capitalize on the murders of 14 children and three staff members at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School by filming or creating a reality show based on being the brother of a mass murderer?" Judge Elizabeth Scherer overruled a defense attorney's objection and request to have the question struck but told Woodard not to respond.
Richard Moore was present in the courtroom on Monday when the prosecutor questioned Woodard about the reality TV program. His name was brought up once more when the prosecutor inquired about Woodard's knowledge about transferring thousands of dollars "this year alone" to the defendant Cruz's commissary account. The reality show and the money deposits, according to Woodard, were unknown to her. Moore appears in one of the clips from the 'Being Zach Cruz' show.
Zachary and Nikolas spent the majority of their childhoods with their adoptive parents, Lynda and Roger. Roger died in 2004, and Lynda in November 2017, less than three months prior to the massacre. Zachary, who has run into legal issues before, moved in with Moore and Michael Donovan to get away from Florida.
Moore claimed to WPLG, "I don’t approve of what Nik did. No parent should ever bury their child and my heart goes out to all those families. I just don’t think the death penalty and 20 years of appeal will give them the closure they need. It will just open this wound over and over again." Despite Zachary and Moore's objections, it was mandated that they must respond to any inquiries the state poses to them in a statement.
Nikolas pleaded guilty to 17 counts of first-degree murder in October and a trial is underway to determine his sentence. Cruz's attorneys began their defense Monday, August 22, in an effort to convince the jury - made up of seven men and five women - to sentence him to life in prison without the possibility of parole rather than death.