Her shooting came as an utter shock to family and friends. Who could have shot the vibrant attorney, wife and church volunteer eight times just outside of her Sandy Springs apartment?
When police made an arrest, those who knew Adina Parson were shocked again. Her husband, Michael Darnell Parson, was allegedly the man who pulled the trigger the night of April 20, 2012, critically injuring his wife of less than two years. He has remained jailed without bond since being extradited to Georgia following his arrest in Texas.
Opening statements are expected Tuesday morning in the trial for Michael Parson. Parson, 43, is charged with criminal attempt to commit murder, two counts of aggravated battery, and three counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony for allegedly shooting his then-wife, according to the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office. Jury selection was held Monday.
Adina Parson, who worked at the state Department of Public Health, was critically injured, but survived. She spent several weeks at Grady Memorial Hospital, where those closest to her held a bedside vigil. Michael Parson was also at the hospital in the days following the shooting, family members have said.
But on May 4, 2012, Michael Parson was the suspect in his wife's shooting, and he was arrested the following day in Texas during a traffic stop. His arrest warrant and court documents later revealed that at the time of the shooting, Michael Parson had been engaged to another woman and was secretly living a second life.
"He says he did not do it, and I'm going to believe him until someone proves otherwise," Margaret Parson, Michael's mother, previously told The AJC. "It's not my Michael. It's not the Michael I raised."
Earlier this year, Adina Parson was granted a divorce from Michael Parson and has returned to using her maiden name, Adina Broome. It is not known whether she will testify at the trial.
Opening statements are expected to begin at 9 a.m. in Fulton County Superior Court Judge Kelly Amanda Lee’s courtroom.
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