Lawyers for Spencer Pearson, the Ponte Vedra Beach man who stabbed his ex-girlfriend multiple times in a restaurant parking lot, are now trying to blame football-related head injuries for his actions, court records show.

Pearson was set to be sentenced this Friday, but his attorney, Matthew Kachergus, filed a last-minute request to delay the hearing. The motion argued that Pearson’s legal team needed more time to determine if he suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) due to playing football from ages 6 to 18.

Prosecutors objected, but the judge granted the delay. Pearson’s sentencing is now scheduled for November 22 at 9 a.m.

His attorneys cited a 2023 Journal of the American Medical Association article stating that MRIs can detect possible signs of CTE in living football players. They requested more time for brain scans that could show if Pearson’s condition affected his behavior.

The Attack on Madison Schemitz

Pearson pleaded guilty in July to two counts of attempted first-degree murder and one count of aggravated battery.

His ex-girlfriend, Madison Schemitz, was stabbed 17 times in the June 2023 ambush, leaving her partially paralyzed. A bystander, Kennedy Armstrong, stopped the attack by pulling Pearson off her.

Schemitz and her mother, Jaclyn Roge, were eating at Mr. Chubby’s Wings in Ponte Vedra Beach when they noticed Pearson lurking outside. They tried to leave but were intercepted before reaching their car.

Authorities say Pearson had stalked and threatened Schemitz before the attack.

Despite her severe injuries, Schemitz has made an inspiring recovery—walking across the stage at her high school graduation in June.