Dunwoody daycare trial | Day 12

Defense: Attorneys Bob Rubin and Doug Peters

Judge: Gregory Adams

5:17 p.m.: Judge Adams adjourns court for the weekend. Court resumes Monday at 9 a.m.

5:07 p.m.: Peters returns to the criteria for delusion found in the the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and asks whether Brickhouse would change his finding if an evaluation found that Neuman met the criteria. Brickhouse responds that he did not think Neuman met the criteria for a finding of delusion based on the manual's definition.

5:03 p.m.: Brickhouse testifies that even if he had seen other evaluations that found mental illness he still would hold that Neuman was not mentally ill because of his own assessments and observations during the time Brickhouse spent with Neuman at the jail.

4:52 p.m.: Brickhouse is asked whether there were ever any discussions with Neuman about the Sneiderman children, numerous text messages with Andrea Sneiderman, or other matters revealed in the case surrounding Neuman's association with Andrea Sneiderman. He answers no.

4:43 p.m.: Peters asks Brickhouse whether Neuman ever discussed any intimate encounters with "a woman" on trips in the U.S. and abroad. Brickhouse said there were no such discussions. Neuman only talked about estrangement from his family, Brickhouse said.

4:39 p.m.: Brickhouse is cross examined by defense attorney Doug Peters, who starts out asking Brickhouse about his familiarity with the criteria of delusion found in the  Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders used by mental health officials. Brickhouse said he is aware of the criteria.

4:34 p.m.: Brickhouse said that given Neuman's normal behavior, he was moved back into protective custody in January 2012. At no time did he think Neuman did not know the difference between right and wrong, Brickhouse said. He added that there was no indication that Neuman was anything but normal.

4:28 p.m.: During the three months Neuman was under observation, Brickhouse said his mental state was "completely unremarkable" and that there was no documentation of delusions or mental health requests. "His behavior was exemplary," Brickhouse said. The doctor also said he did not observe any bipolar behavior, depression or psychosis. There was also no mention of any demons or angels.

4:25 p.m.: Brickhouse said he was aware that Neuman had undergone two outside evaluations but did not know that those evaluations had found him to be insane. He said Neuman did not show any signs that he was insane, only that he'd expressed suicidal thoughts.

4:20 p.m.: Neuman requested to see Brickhouse again in October and said he was suicidal and that he had razors. Brickhouse also said Neuman confessed to killing Rusty Sneiderman. He said Neuman was moved to a psychiatric unit for observation, and his cell was searched for razors. Neuman was later moved to a psychiatric unit of the jail for three months of observation.

4:18 p.m.: Later in the fall, Neuman requested to see Brickhouse and told the doctor that he felt his safety was in jeopardy at the jail. Neuman told the doctor he heard of a conspiracy to throw him down stairs because of his Jewish faith. He was relocated to protective custody.

4:16 p.m.: Brickhouse said he concluded that Neuman was not suicidal, a risk to himself or to others and he remained in the general jail population. Brickhouse said he did not see him as being delusional, bipolar or manic depressive. Brickhouse came in contact with Neuman again in March when a jailer asked him whether Neuman was suicidal. He revaluated Neuman again and found him to not suicidal.

4:09 p.m.: Brickhouse said Neuman denied having any hallucinations when he was asked about them during that January evaluation. Brickhouse also said he's observed Neuman since that initial evaluation and that Neuman has not fit the profile of someone with hallucinations. Brickhouse said Neuman did mention thoughts of committing suicide.

4:04 p.m.: In January 2011, Brickhouse said he came in contact with Neuman when the defendant underwent an initial mental evaluation after he was jailed.

4:01 p.m.: The judge orders Brickhouse's phone seized and the battery removed after it begins sounding on the witness stand.

3:57 p.m.: Court resumes, and prosecutor Geary calls Dr. William Brickhouse, an expert in forensic psychology and director of mental health at the DeKalb County Jail, to the stand.

3:47 p.m.: At times during the break, Neuman is hunched over with his head on the table.

3:41 p.m.: Judge calls for the jury's last break of the day.

3:37 p.m.: In the videotape Neuman says he worked with DeManche on an important GE project in February 2010 that Neuman said he later abandoned out of frustration. After the tape is ended,  DeManche testifies that he did not work with Neuman on any project in February 2010.

3:37 p.m.: Prosecutor James calls Richard DeManche, a GE engineering manager who has been with the company for 12 years. His team handles issues raised by top customers. He has known Neuman for five years and worked with Neuman before and after January 2010. James plays another videotape in which Neuman is being questioned by Crawford at the jail and in which DeManche's name is mentioned.

3:35 p.m.: Rubin asks Gephardt whether he knew of any associations between Neuman and the Sneidermans and he says no.

3:33 p.m.: The videotape is resumed and Neuman talks about walking away from an important project that he once headed at GE. Gephardt, under questioning of James after the tape is ended, says Neuman never walked away from a project. James then asks Gephardt whether Neuman exhibited any irrational behavior while working at GE, and Gephardt says no. James ends his questioning and the defense cross examines.

3:25 p.m.: Gephardt is questioned again and says Neuman had the second-highest evaluation rating at the time. He said there was no real discussion about his dissatisfaction with the performance evaluation. He said Neuman was a valued employee and he supported Neuman in his career aspirations for greater opportunities in the areas of quality and operations within GE.

3:20 p.m.: The videotape is played and Neuman is shown in jail discussing his employment evaluation with Dr. Crawford. Neuman appears to take issue with a "meets expectation" on his evaluation that was given by Gephardt.

3:15 p.m.: The judge  confers briefly with lawyers. Neuman briefly flips through documents while his lawyers are at the bench.

3:11 p.m.: The court is having difficulty bring up videotape that James has requested.

3:09 p.m.: Prosecutor James asked Gephardt about Neuman's performance evaluation in 2009. Gephardt said Neuman received an "excellent" score on his 2009 evaluation.

3:06 p.m.: Gephardt says he's known Neuman for about six years. He was Neuman's boss at GE when Neuman was a quality manager. He called Neuman"a direct report." Gephardt explains the evaluation process for employees.

3:02 p.m.: Crawford is released from the witness stand. The prosecution calls  Eric Gephardt, a GE vice president of thermal engineering. He's been with GE for 21 years.

3:01 p.m.: Crawford said Neuman may very well not have been malingering when tested by other psychiatrists but that does not mean he was not malingering when she questioned him. Judge asks jury to stand and stretch.

2:56 p.m.: Rubin asks Crawford whether there was any evidence that Neuman faked having hallucinations at the jail. She answers yes.

2:53 p.m.: Rubin asked Crawford about steps Neuman took to hide the killing. She said Neuman said he took the steps to hide the crime from Andrea Sneiderman. Rubin then asks Crawford about her access to other psychological reports on Neuman. Crawford said she requested psychological testing results from other psychiatrists who examined Neuman but the prosecution said she would not have access those results.

2:47 p.m.: Judge Adams calls court back into session. Defense attorney Rubin continues his questioning of Dr. Pamela Crawford, a psychiatrist hired by the prosecution.

2:33 p.m.: Judge Adams calls for 10-minute break.

2:30 p.m.: Rubin now recounts the Greenville trip where Neuman and Andrea went dancing. Rubin says Neuman didn't pretend amnesia about the details of this trip, but Crawford says anytime they discussed sexual intimacy he said he couldn't remember. She says Neuman described the demon's voice not "as" Barry White's but "like" Barry White's.

2:25 p.m.: Rubin says the one instance of not remembering sex is the only time in six hours of interviews with that Neuman said he did not remember something, and Crawford confirms this. Rubin recounts the email in which Andrea told Neuman she felt guilty for what she had done, and then Neuman responds by asking her to marry him. Crawford confirms.

2:20 p.m.: Crawford says she did not ask Andrea why she would introduce her husband to Hemy after he had expressed romantic interest in her. She confirms that Neuman's statements that he did not know whether he and Andrea had sex were evidence of malingering. She says that Neuman later pretended not to remember other things.

2:10 p.m.: Crawford confirms previously discussed details about the trip to Nevada. "I asked him about the foot rub and he said it was just a friendly gesture, she said." She says Andrea Sneiderman did not acknowledge kissing Hemy in Nevada. She confirms Neuman asked three employees of the hotel in Nevada to send flowers and chocolates to Andrea's room. She reads a statement handed to her by the defense in which a hotel employee says Neuman's behavior "seemed so bizarre."

2:00 p.m.: Crawford says Neuman did not appear to exaggerate the abuse he suffered at the hands of his father. She says Neuman told her the first time he had "opened up" about his experiences in Israel was to Andrea Sneiderman. She says Neuman told her he had contemplated suicide.

1:55 p.m.: Crawford says Andrea Sneiderman told her that Neuman knew there was a $2 million life insurance policy on Rusty Sneiderman. She says she is not aware of any instance in which Neuman researched insanity or bipolar disorder.

1:45 p.m.: Under questioning from Rubin, Crawford says she did not ask Neuman's wife for a waiver so she could review the marrital counseling records. Crawford says Ariela Neuman told her that Hemy had said he contemplated suicide.

1:30 p.m.: Rubin continues cross-examination of Dr. Pamela Crawford. Crawford is reviewing documents given to her by Rubin.

11:58 a.m.: Judge Adams calls for lunch break until 1:30 p.m.

11:57 a.m.: Rubin questions Crawford about her conversation with Neuman's wife, Ariela. Rubin says Crawford took what Ariela Neuman said as truthful; Crawford says "I took it as how she viewed things."

11:50 a.m.: Rubin emphasizes how Neuman cooperated with Crawford despite knowing that everything he said would be reported to the prosecution and eventually to the jury if the case went to trial.

11:47 a.m.: Crawford says she interviewed Andrea Sneiderman for 30 or 45 minutes and Andrea denied she had an affair with Neuman. "I thought it was unlikely she was being truthful" based on emails she had seen. "I thought it was pretty evident they had a relationship," Crawford says.

11:45 a.m.: Rubin is now asking how many hours she's spent on the case and what her hourly rate is. She responds $300 an hour and Rubin asks how much that would be for 200 hours, and she says $60,000.

10:40 a.m.: Rubin is questioning whether Crawford is really a certified forensic psychiatrist because her certification lapsed in 2008.

11:28 a.m.: Defense attorney Rubin begins cross-examination of Crawford. Rubin is making the point that Crawford is not licensed to practice in Georgia (she is licensed in South Carolina). She says she checked with the Georgia medical board to make sure she could perform a forensic evaluation of Neuman. Geary objects, and Adams overrules. Rubin asks if she confirmed with anyone other than a secretary at the medical board. She says that wasn't necessary.

11:27 a.m.: In response to Geary's question, Crawford says she believes Neuman was able to distinguish between right and wrong when she shot Sneiderman, and "it's my opinion ... that he would be criminally responsible for the murder."

11:25 a.m.: Crawford says she never found any evidence that Neuman was depressed or bipolar. She says Neuman could not have functioned as he did if he had been suffering from mania.

11:20 a.m.: Geary resumes questioning of Crawford. Video clip shows Neuman saying Andrea called him the morning of the shooting and said "Rusty's been shot and I'm on my way to Atlanta Medical with my parents."

11:03 a.m.: Adams calls for 10-minute break.

11:00 a.m.: Video clip show Neuman expressing frustration that despite his many accomplishments at work, he was not appreciated and got only an average performance evaluation. He says he eventually lost interest in his job. Crawford says Neuman told her the demon later appeared before him and told him "you're a failure ... you should have joined me long ago." He decided to commit suicide by driving his car off the road but didn't want to put his children through it. He said if he killed himself, he would make it look like an accident so his family could receive life insurance.

10:45 a.m.: Jurors are seeing a lengthy video clip of Neuman describing to Crawford the details of his job at GE Energy. Amid an enormous number of tasks, he said he was also trying to avoid bankruptcy and foreclosure of his home. Crawford adds "and planning to kill Rusty." Neuman responds, "that was just one more thing." Geary asks "is such long-term, high-level functioning ... consistent with being bipolar and having manic episodes." Crawford responds, "No." She also says she interviewed Neuman's coworkers to confirm that he had the many responsibilities he described.

10:37 a.m.: Crawford said Neuman told her he made attempts to avoid being caught because he didn't want Andrea Sneiderman to know he shot Rusty.

10:35 a.m.: On another video clip, Neuman discusses planning the second attempt, where he actually shot Sneiderman. Crawford says his planning was "detailed and methodical" and not typical of someone suffering from a serious mental disorder.

10:30 a.m.: On another clip, Neuman describes his first attempt to kill Sneiderman, in which he laid outside the house and waited for Rusty to take his son to school and return, at which point he would shoot him. But Rusty came outside to investigate a gas leak and saw him, so he ran away. He said he was wearing a wig and mustache, and he thinks Sneiderman thought he was a homeless person.

10:25 a.m.: Crawford recounts Neuman's aborted attempt to kill Sneiderman eight days before the shooting. Tape is played in which Neuman says he decided to use a gun in October and took a gun safety class. "I didn't want to hurt anyone," he says.

10:16 a.m.: Geary's questioning of Crawford resumes. She says Neuman was "very vague" about the danger to the Sneiderman children. She said he offered "no compelling reason" for the shooting. She says he conceded there "was no imminent danger" to the children. She says he admitted planning the murder and that "he approached it as a project. ... He said 'I did a concept review.'"  He told Crawford he thought of stabbing him but that would be too messy; he thought about poisoning him or staging an accident but wanted to be sure he didn't just injure him. He said the gun was "the cleanest way." Crawford says that a manic person would not be able to plan and carry out a crime in such a rational manner.

10:00 a.m.: Judge Adams calls 10-minute break.

9:52 a.m.: Tape is played with Neuman talking about his memory, which he says is very good at times and bad at others. Another clip has Neuman saying he believed the Sneiderman children were his. In another clip, he concedes "legally the children are not mine." On two other clips, Neuman says he has three children.

9:45 a.m.: Crawford said Neuman had an excellent memory during her interviews; the only thing he couldn't remember was whether he had sex with Andrea.

9:40 a.m.: After more clips of her interview with Neuman are played, Crawford says, "His presentation there is more consistent with malingering (faking)."

9:35 a.m.: Crawford says Neuman later told her the demon probably wasn't real but represented his fears and anxieties.  Tape is played of Neuman describing the demon; another tape is played where he says the demon's voice is "almost like Barry White."

9:27 a.m.: Crawford says Neuman told her about the angel and the demon; Neuman said the angel told him "the children are yours and you need to tell Andrea." He told her the angel was "the Australian actress who played in 'Grease.'" He said the angel appeared to him later and said that he had to kill Rusty Sneiderman, that the children are in danger. She describes Neuman's other encounters with the angel and demon, who he said had a voice similar to Barry White.

9:25 a.m.: Crawford says "It's my opinion ... that Mr. Neuman would be considered under Georgia law criminally responsible for the murder of Rusty Sneiderman." She says he knew right from wrong at the time.

9:20 a.m.: Geary says he will play portions of  tapes of the interviews Crawford conducted with Neuman.

9:15 a.m.: Crawford says that in addition to Neuman, she interviewed Neuman's coworkers, his wife, Andrea Sneiderman and the woman with whom Neuman was living at the time of the shooting.

9:10 a.m.: She says psychological tests are not fool-proof, and that when you're testing someone who's "extremely intelligent," that must be factored into the test. "Someone who is able to research ... understand things in a complex way would be more problematic with these tests."

9:03 a.m.: Court resumes with Pamela Crawford being sworn in. She tells Geary there are obvious signs of "major depression" and that the episodes typically last several weeks. The symptoms "could go unnoticed by some people ... but they wouldn't go unnoticed by everybody," she says. Geary asks if someone can have a manic episode without being bipolar, and Crawford says such episodes are primarily indicative of bipolar disorder.