24 Feb Hemy Neuman Insanity Defense

Dan appeared on Good Morning America a couple days ago to discuss the trial for Hemy Neuman, who is charged with the killing of Rusty Sneiderman. The Prosecution alleges that Neuman was having an affair with Sneiderman’s wife, Andrea, and killed her husband to get to her. They are pleading guilty but claiming Neuman’s insanity for their case. They’ve said that Neuman was visited by a demon that “sounded like Barry White,” (and an angel with the “face of Olivia Newton John”) who told him to Kill Sneiderman. George Stephanopoulos and Dan agreed that setting up this alibi might actually be more hurtful than helpful to Neuman. The insanity plea, according to Dan, would be a valid defense if it meant that Neuman didn’t understand that killing Sneiderman was wrong. “It seems there was premeditation,” he said, “to avoid detection,” which reveals some degree of understanding. Naturally that alone leaves quite a hole in the Defense’s argument. As an added twist, the affair and Andrea’s denial of the affair presents new intrigues for both sides. As for the insanity plea, Dan thinks the defense would’ve been wise to say that Neuman was delusional about the affair itself. Watch the full discussion here.