Dunwoody shooter says 'angels' told him to kill

Video: Dunwoody shooter defense: Angel told him to kill

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   >> with the trial of a man accused of murdering a father of two as he dropped off his son at a day care center in georgia. testimony started tuesday with testimony from the victim's widow. thanh truong is at the courthouse with the latest. good morning.

   >> reporter: hey, carl . good morning to you. 48-year-old newman is accused of gunning down rusty snyderman in november of 2010 . the prosecution says he was deliberate in planning the killing but he's pled not guilty by reason of insanity. they claim he had an affair with the victim's wife, andrea . the case against newman boils down to sun simple sentence say it is prosecution.

   >> the man wanted her in his life and he killed her husband. he got caught.

   >> reporter: the father of two young children was gunned down but the defense claims newman was delusional. he imagined he was visited by a demon who sounded like barry white and an angel who looked like olivia newton john .

   >> the angel told him rusty was going to harm the children. that he needed to protect the children. that he needed to kill rusty .

   >> reporter: newman 's attorney described a man in financial crisis who suffered an abusive upbringing. with the first witness the debate over newman 's mental health turned into a salacious soap opera . andrea snyderman said newman , her boss at ge was obsessed with her and made repeated unwanted passes but she never reported it.

   >> do you have any idea why the defendant would have these feelings toward you?

   >> i think i'm a nice person. i'm a very caring person. i did nothing but try to help hemmy newman , suggested him to seek counseling in his marriage.

   >> reporter: prosecutors produced records of business trips they had taken together including one to south carolina .

   >> what happened there, ma'am?

   >> we were holding each other's hands. that's it. it may sound worse than it is.

   >> reporter: snyderman denied having a sexual affair with newman .

   >> there was no affair. who kills someone else 's husband?

   >> reporter: despite constant advances and a barrage of romantic e-mails she said she never felt threatened but her husband spotted someone snooping outside their home in a mask. police later discovered it was newman .

   >> rusty didn't recognize him. how would rusty recognize him? he was wearing a disguise.

   >> reporter: nine days later newman shot rusty . snyderman said a day care worker called saying something had happened to her husband. the prosecutor pressed her to explain why she never called her husband. instead calling her family and then newman six times.

   >> why didn't you call rusty .

   >> they told me something happened to rusty . what are the chances he'll answer his cell phone.

   >> i'm curious. why didn't you call rusty .

   >> reporter: andrea will take the stand in a couple of hours for cross-examination by the defense. if convicted newman faces life in prison . if found not guilty he'll be sent to a mental hospital . carl ?

   >> thanh truong, thanks. should make for an interesting day in court. newman 's estranged wife is listed as a potential witness for the prosecution . we are joined by her attorney esther panich.

   >> good morning, carl .

   >> the defense says newman was stricken with mental issues. did you're client witness those issues during the course of their marriage?

   >> reporter: no. in fact, the only thing my client witnessed was that her husband had been cheating on her and was caught. so it has nothing to do with mental illness . in fact, this defense is really an insult to those who actually suffer from bipolar disorder. he had no family history -- go ahead.

   >> then there is a demon i wanted to ask about. the one that sounds like barry white . an angel that looks like olivia newton -john. what did you think when you heard that testimony?

   >> frankly, the first thing i thought of was olivia newton -john. was it "grease" or "xanadu." if this case wasn't so serious resulting in the death of a good man, multiple families and a community then this would be laughable. unfortunately this is a tragedy which hasn't even seen the end yet. so for mr. newman to come out nine months after he pled not guilty to now decide he's seeing demons and angels is insulting.

   >> andrea snyderman adamantly denies having an affair with hemmy. does your client believe andrea is lying on the stand?

   >> yes. in fact, in the courtroom there were a lot of people who believed andrea was lying. she was completely evasive, argumentative with the prosecutor and the defense lawyer . she has not yet told the truth. she seems to have had selective amnesia when confronted with e-mails indicating that mr. newman loved her. she said she didn't remember all the e-mails she got in two years. i don't know about you, but if a boss of mine sent me an e-mail telling me he loved me multiple times it's not something i would be likely to forget.

   >> you have alluded in the media in the past to the idea that there might have been someone else involved in rusty snyderman's murder. can you elaborate on that?

   >> not at this point. i think we are all going to have to wait to see what witnesses the prosecution brings out? you will have to have me on again.

   >> do you and your client believe it was a plot to kill rusty snyderman?

   >> we'll have to see the investigation. the district attorney is in control of their case and they are doing an incredible job. as is the defense attorney .

   >> does your client believe the father of her children would be capable of a crime like this?

   >> i don't think anybody believe that is the person they love and marry is capable of such a crime. she never knew him to be violent. she knew he had cheated on her and when she found out that he was involved it was devastating to her. it is still devastating to her. she was no different than any other woman who went to work one day, came home only to find out that the police were at her door saying her husband had killed another man. it's unfathomable to believe that your husband, your family member is capable of such violence. yet he has admitted to killing rusty snyderman.

   >> thank you very much for

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