The woman described as a murder "co-conspirator" and love interest of Hemy Neuman has largely disappeared during Neuman's re-trial -- both from the courtroom, and the narrative of prosecutors and defense attorneys.
DECATUR, GA -- The Hemy Neuman murder retrial could go to a jury Friday. When it does, jurors will have heard a story that markedly differs from his first murder trial in 2012 in one key area: The alleged involvement - or lack thereof -- of Andrea Sneiderman.
She was the star witness in Neuman’s first murder trial. In this trial, Andrea Sneiderman’s presence has been almost an afterthought. She hasn’t testified. Her videotaped testimony from the first trial hasn’t been played.
During the first trial, prosecutors contended that Mrs. Sneiderman conspired with Neuman to murder her husband Rusty Sneiderman outside a Dunwoody day care.
The defense contended that Mrs. Sneiderman manipulated Neuman, her coworker, into killing her husband.
In this trial, neither the prosecution nor the defense has alleged that Mrs Sneiderman had anything to do with her husband’s murder. In fact, the defense contends Mrs. Sneiderman was only guilty of having a brief extramarital affair with a delusional coworker -- and that the delusion, as well as bipolar disorder, drove Neuman to murder.
Andrea Sneiderman denied having an affair with Neuman. She did go to prison for perjury.
A grand jury indicted Andrea Sneiderman for conspiring with Neuman to murder her husband six months after Neuman’s first trial. But DeKalb prosecutors dropped the charge for lack of evidence -- then largely dropped her from the narrative in Neuman’s retrial.
