Opinion ID: 77561
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Testimony of Stewart's Family Members

Text: 33 Susan Medlin, 12 one of Stewart's stepsisters, was Stewart's first witness in the state 3.850 proceeding. Medlin testified that she lived with Stewart in the Scarpo household until she was fifteen years old. During this period, Medlin claimed that Mr. Scarpo physically and sexually abused her, and she witnessed Mr. Scarpo regularly beating Stewart and her other siblings. Medlin testified that Mr. Scarpo would punch, slap, and beat Stewart with a belt, and this abuse would leave Stewart with black eyes, bruises, and scrapes. In addition to the physical abuse, Medlin said that Mr. Scarpo humiliated and chastised Stewart publicly because he urinated in bed, even though Mr. Scarpo knew that the bed-wetting was the product of a medical condition. Medlin testified that Mr. Scarpo was always intoxicated, and he once held a gun to Joanne Scarpo's head and threatened to kill her. 34 Despite suffering similar abuse, Medlin testified that she had never been convicted of a crime. Medlin stated that she provided a deposition at the penalty phase and would have testified at trial on Stewart's behalf, but she was not asked to do so. Medlin claimed that she was never asked about Mr. Scarpo's alleged abuse during her penalty-phase deposition or during her phone conversations with a defense investigator prior to trial, and she never volunteered the information. Although Medlin conceded that she could have contacted Stewart's lawyers and informed them of the abuse, she did not do so. When asked why she came forward to testify at the state 3.850 evidentiary hearing, Medlin responded that she was testifying [t]o hopefully save my brother's life and have his sentence maybe commuted to life in prison. 13 35 Stewart next presented the testimony of Linda Arnold, his other stepsister raised in the Scarpo household. Arnold also claimed that Mr. Scarpo was always intoxicated and repeatedly abused her physically, emotionally, and sexually. Arnold said that on one occasion Mr. Scarpo held a gun to her head. Arnold stated that Mr. Scarpo was more aggressive in his physical abuse of Stewart, often leaving the boy with black eyes, bruises, and cuts after slapping, punching, and beating Stewart with a belt. According to Arnold, Mr. Scarpo would isolate Stewart alone in his room wearing only underwear for days as punishment for bed-wetting. Arnold stated that Stewart also witnessed Mr. Scarpo abuse Joanne Scarpo. 36 Arnold also testified that she had never been convicted of a crime despite suffering similar abuse as Stewart. Arnold claimed that she was only contacted by a defense investigator after Stewart's trial had commenced, and she did not mention Mr. Scarpo's abuse during their brief conversation. 14 Arnold admitted that she did not know whether Stewart had discussed the abuse with his attorneys. 37 Lillian Brown, Stewart's aunt, next testified for the defense. Brown first met Stewart while her brother, Stewart's biological father, had custody of Stewart when the boy was about fifteen months old. Brown characterized Stewart's upbringing during this period as very abusive due to repeated whippings. Brown next saw Stewart when he was living with his grandmother at age thirteen, and Stewart's grandmother said that Mr. Scarpo subjected Stewart to very brutal treatment. Brown also discussed Stewart's treatment directly with Mr. Scarpo, who admitted that he punched Stewart and put garbage cans on Stewart's head as a form of discipline. Stewart lived with Brown briefly when he was thirteen, and he asked questions about his father's and mother's deaths. Brown claimed that she was never contacted by any investigator or defense attorney, though she would have been willing to testify about the abuse at the penalty phase of trial. 38