Closing Argument in State v. Scott Kologi by defense counsel Richard Lomurro of the Lomurro Law Firm

“This tragedy was not borne from wickedness," Lomurro told the jury. “This tragedy was borne from sickness.

“Scott was born with a mental illness, and it was born into his brain, not that he chose for it to be born into his brain," the defense attorney said. “It chose to be born in Scott."

Throughout his life, Scott’s family ignored his mental illness, primarily because his mother didn’t want her son to be taken away from her, Lomurro said.

From the time Scott was very young, it was obvious he was mentally ill, and his family falsely thought it was caused by an inoperable brain tumor for which they could do nothing about, Lomurro said. At 16 years old, Scott still believed in Santa Claus and slept in the bed with his parents each night, Lomurro said.

In the year leading up to the killings, Scott’s mental illness was getting progressively worse, but his mother instructed him and other family members not to talk about it, Lomurro told the jury.

He told his family he was having bad thoughts that he couldn’t control, that he wanted to get therapy and medication, “but most of all, he wants the bad thoughts to stop," Lomurro said of his client.

“He’s not getting help," Lomurro said. “He is out of control with his thoughts. His mental illness has taken control. It has been developing since he was born and it is in full force on New Year’s Eve 2017."

That day began for Scott hearing a voice in the shower, and he continued having bad thoughts all day, Lomurro said.

“He couldn’t stop them," the defense attorney said. “Scott tried to ignore them, but he couldn’t."

“Because they ignored that mental illness, this tragedy happened," the defense attorney told the jury.

“We’re not debating that this thing happened," Lomurro said in his summation.. “It did happen. Scott shot his family."

But Lomurro argued Kologi’s actions that night were brought on by something beyond his control — mental illness.