A pre-trial hearing for the man accused of shooting his wife eight times outside of the couple’s Sandy Springs apartment was delayed Friday and a new date was not set.
Michael Parson, 43, could face up to 61 years in prison if convicted, according to testimony in a Thursday hearing.
Parson allegedly shot Adina Parson, 40, on April 20, 2012, critically injuring her after she left the apartment late at night. Adina Parson, 40, an attorney with the state’s Department of Public Health, survived and continues to recover, her family has said.
While at his wife’s hospital bedside in the days after the shooting, Michael Parson emerged as a suspect, according to Sandy Springs police. One day after being named the suspect, he was arrested during a traffic stop in Texas.
Court documents revealed that despite being married, Michael Parson was leading a double life that included being engaged to another woman. Those allegations came as a shock to those closest to the couple, including Michael Parson's mother, who has said the couple seemed happily married.
Before Thursday’s hearing, Michael Parson’s attorney had filed a motion seeking to have his trial removed, but later pulled the motion, Channel 2 Action News reported. Parson asked Judge Kelly Lee for protective custody while an inmate at the Fulton County jail because he says he fears for his life, but his request was denied.
“The sheriff’s department has asked us not to thwart their decisions on how to protect them at the jail, and I’m going to have to trust them now to do that with Mr. Parson as well, so I’m not going to sign that order,” Lee said.
Parson has the option of accepting a plea deal and avoiding a trial, but the state has said it will seek the maximum sentence.
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