Hemy Neuman Trial - Defense Presents its Case

The defense team began to lay out its case today in the Hemy Neuman homicide trial.

For the first time, the defense made plain what it had been hinting at during the first six days of the trial: Their client was manipulated into action by his co-worker, Andrea Sneiderman, the victim’s widow.

"Obviously our defense in this case is first of all, Mr. Sneiderman is sick. Second, that he has been manipulated by Andrea Sneiderman," said defense attorney Doug Peters.

Neuman has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, and his lawyers have said he saw visions of an angel and demon who urged him to kill.

 Andrea Sneiderman is the widow of Russell “Rusty” Sneiderman who was gunned down on the morning of Nov. 18, 2010 in front of the Dunwoody day care where he had just dropped off his son.

The widow has not been charged with a crime, and she has repeatedly denied having an affair with her former boss, who she depicted as a stalker.

The first witness was Neuman's younger sister, Monique Metsch of Florida. She described a childhood in which both she and her brother Hemy were brutalized by their father, a Holocaust survivor, who was angry at God and the world and took it out on his family.

She said that Hemy would often take the blows that were meant for her and that her father would, "Just start beating him over and over and over, a rain of blows."

The defense also presented a psychiatrist and a psychologist who were initially brought onto the case as consultants for the defense. They testified that Neuman showed signs of psychosis when they interviewed him and gave him some preliminary tests in the DeKalb County Jail.

Neuman's mother might be called to the stand Thursday, but lawyers have not released witness lists so it’s not clear who else will be called to the stand.

 Andrea Sneiderman remains under subpoena and could be called back to the stand. She has not been in the courtroom since Friday, when she was barred from the courthouse because of her conduct in the courtroom and her interaction with witnesses in the hallway and a waiting room.

Prosecutors rested their case Tuesday after presenting more than 140 pieces of evidence and 80 witnesses and experts in the murder trial of Hemy Neuman.

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