Andrea Sneiderman, whose former boss was convicted last month of murdering her husband and who now is in a visitation dispute with her in-laws, says they are not acting in "the best interests" of their grandchildren by alleging she was involved in her husband's death.
Sneiderman made the allegation in a court petition filed Wednesday in Fulton County Superior Court, in response to her in-laws' request for visits with their grandchildren, Sophia, 6 and Ian, 3.
Don and Marilyn Sneiderman, parents of Andrea's late husband Rusty, alleged in court documents filed in late March that their daughter-in-law "limited and most recently eliminated contact between the grandparents and the minor children."
But Andrea Sneiderman, in Wednesday's filing, denied she has kept her two children away from their grandparents. She alleged that even before her husband's death, the Sneidermans had "very little contact with their grandchildren."
"They may love the children very much, but they have shown very little outward affection during their visits," the filing said.
Doug Chalmers, attorney for Andrea Sneiderman, declined comment Wednesday.
Randy Kessler, representing the in-laws, said in an email only that "we are reviewing (Andrea's petition) at this time."
The relationship between the two camps has been testy for more than a year, as allegations surfaced that Andrea Sneiderman was not being honest with prosecutors trying the case of Hemy Neuman.
Neuman was convicted of fatally shooting Rusty Sneiderman outside a Dunwoody day care facility in November 2010.
In an exclusive interview with the AJC following the Neuman trial, Rusty Sneiderman's father said his daughter in-law "knew in advance" of the fatal shooting.
"She knew then what was going on," Don Sneiderman told the AJC. "How she knew or what she knew, I don't know."
Lawyers for the prosecution and the defense in the Neuman trial also have said they believe Andrea Sneiderman was involved in her husband's death.
Last week, a DeKalb County grand jury subpoenaed Channel 2 Action News for the entirety of Andrea Sneiderman's testimony given during the trial, signaling criminal charges against the victim's widow could be imminent.
Meanwhile, a potential custody battle simmers.
Though Andrea Sneiderman contends her husband's parents were not deeply involved in their grandchildren's lives, Don and Marilyn Sneiderman say they saw Sophia and Ian regularly via Skype, an Internet phone service.
The day Rusty was killed, the Sneidermans told the AJC last month, they shared a long-distance conversation with their son and grandson.
"Rusty was all excited," Marilyn Sneiderman said. "He was all dressed up for a big meeting -- he was starting a new company. He was going to California the next day."
The Sneidermans are seeking immediate access and specified visitation rights with their grandchildren and have requested that a schedule be put into a place for telephone and webcam contact.
Andrea Sneiderman's response contends her in-laws passed up opportunities to spend time with their grandchildren, saying they did not see them from November 2010 through May 2011.
By January 2011, the Sneidermans said, they began to harbor suspicions about their daughter-in-law's denials of an affair with Neuman, her ex-supervisor at GE Energy.
Don Sneiderman told the AJC once he was informed by Dunwoody police that Neuman had been arrested, "everything started clicking into place."
"[A]bout two and half hours later Andrea called us sobbing and in tears, and I asked her if she had lied to me. And her brother said, ‘We're hanging up now,' " Don Sneiderman told the AJC last month. He said it was their last substantive conversation.
A court hearing on the in-laws' request for visits with their grandchildren is scheduled for May 3. Andrea Sneiderman has asked conditions be placed on any such visits including "prohibiting [the grandparents] from making negative comments or inferences about [Andrea] to the children."
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