Andrea Sneiderman may prove to be her own worst enemy by agreeing to testify in the murder trial of her former boss, charged with fatally shooting the Dunwoody woman's husband, legal experts say.
"She's put herself at risk" by her testimony, said criminal defense attorney Steve Sadow, who is following the trial in the media. "Why let her undergo a vigorous cross-examination with both sides claiming she is lying? I would have never let her voluntarily testify."
On Thursday, two witnesses revealed that Andrea Sneiderman told them she knew her husband had been shot before she arrived at Atlanta Medical Center, contradicting earlier testimony by the widow that she first learned of the shooting at the hospital.
Andrea Sneiderman testified Tuesday that she received a call around 9:25 a.m., Nov. 18, 2010, from a staffer at Dunwoody Prep telling her there had been an accident but offering no specifics. She said it was another hour before she found out that her husband, Rusty Sneiderman, had been shot.
“No one [at Dunwoody Prep] would tell me what happened,” said Andrea Sneiderman, who is not facing any charges in connection with the case.
Neuman, Andrea Sneiderman’s former boss at GE Energy, has acknowledged through his lawyers fatally shooting Rusty Sneiderman outside the preschool where the Dunwoody entrepreneur had dropped off his two children. Neuman has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.
"I am a betting man generally, and I will say this: It’s not looking very good for her in my perspective right now," said former DeKalb Assistant District Attorney John Petrey, now a criminal defense lawyer who also is following news reports of the trial. "It puts a cloud over her head as to what she knew and didn’t know."
Those doubts intensified Thursday after testimony from the woman's father-in-law, Don Sneiderman, and by a close friend of hers.
Don Sneiderman said his son's wife called at roughly 9:30 a.m. that November day to tell him, “Rusty has been shot.” He said the woman told him she was en route to Dunwoody Prep at the time.
DeKalb County District Attorney Robert James asked Don Sneiderman if he was certain that “Andrea told you Rusty had been shot.”
“Yes, sir,” he responded.
Shayna Citron, a longtime friend of the Sneidermans, testified that Andrea called her and said Rusty had been shot and that she was on the way to the hospital.
Those witnesses, called by the prosecution, imply Andrea Sneiderman had prior knowledge of the shooting.
But it’s not necessarily criminal even if she did know, Petrey said.
“Just knowing someone’s going to commit a crime does not make you liable,” he said. “There’s no legal obligation to keep that spouse from getting run over, or drowning, or being shot, as far as criminal responsibility.”
Citron also testified that she didn’t believe her friend when she denied an affair with Neuman.
“When she told you no, did you believe her?” James asked.
“No, but my heart wanted to,” replied Citron, who was hugged by Andrea Sneiderman after her testimony.
Thursday's revelations provide some context as to why, during the trial's first two days, both the prosecution and defense seemed to focus more on the victim's widow, and her relationship with the Neuman, rather than on the man on trial.
"Obviously they're going to bring in an expert to say she was the trigger that brought back the demons," said Sadow, referring to the defense’s claim that their client believed an angel commanded him to kill Rusty Sneiderman.
But it won’t be an easy case to make, Sadow said. "If he saw demons before the [alleged] affair, how did she manipulate the demons to come back?” he said.
Sadow said he doubts Andrea Sneiderman will ever face criminal charges.
"I don't see the state of Georgia going after her in a prosecution," Sadow said. “I think the circumstances in doing so would require a tremendous amount of prosecutorial resources."
Neither the state nor the defense has commented on the case since the trial began. Andrea Sneiderman’s lawyer, Seth Kirschenbaum, also declined comment when reached by phone Thursday.
Testimony will resume Friday. Andrea Sneiderman remains under subpoena and will likely be called to the stand again.
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