DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Channel 2 Action News cameras were there Thursday morning as deputies arrested Andrea Sneiderman on murder charges in Putnam County. She faces an eight-count indictment.
Sneiderman's husband, Rusty, was gunned down on the morning of November 18, 2010, in the Dunwoody Prep parking lot after dropping his son off for pre-school.
The charges in Sneiderman's indictment include murder, attempted murder, racketeering, insurance fraud, two counts of perjury and two counts of making false statements. Her lawyers released a statement denying the charges, saying the arrest was "choreographed for the media."
DeKalb County District Attorney Robert James reviewed the charges in a 1 p.m. news conference, adding that though Sneiderman didn't pull the trigger, she is susceptible to the same treatment.
"If you help, you can be charged like the person who did it," James said.
A jury convicted Hemy Neuman for the murder in March of this year. Neuman was Andrea Sneiderman's supervisor at GE Energy, and the pair frequently traveled together. At Neuman's trial, both prosecutors and defense attorneys alleged an affair, however Andrea Sneiderman emphatically denied it.
During Neuman's trial, James referred to Neuman as a 'co-conspirator' with Andrea Sneiderman. He told jurors she manipulated him into pulling the trigger. According to the indictment, she also gave Neuman her husband's schedule, "a substantial step toward the commission of said crime."
James said Thursday that Sneiderman's trial will follow the same format as Neuman's trial.
"It worked last time. We're going to do the same thing this time," James said.
He said the next step in the case is Sneiderman's arraignment. Late Thursday, Judge Gregory Adams set a bond hearing for Sneiderman for Aug. 21.
Rusty Sneiderman's family released a statement in support of the arrest saying, "The arrest and indictment of Andrea Sneiderman is another important step in the pursuit of justice for Rusty. This action, however, brings us no joy."
Attorneys say indictment proves their suspicions
One of the allegations that Andrea Sneiderman is facing, is that she lied about knowing when her husband Rusty was shot.
Channel 2's Mike Petchenik talked to the attorney of Andrea Sneiderman's former friend, whose testimony helped lead to the perjury charge.
Andrea testified she didn't find out about Rusty's shooting until she got to the hospital.
But testimony from her friend Shayna Citron contradicted that story and ultimately led to part of Thursday's indictment.
"I think that Andrea Sneiderman is going get everything that to comes to her," said attorney Jay Abt, who represents Citron.
Citron testified at Hemy Neuman's trial that Andrea called her on the way to the hospital to say that husband Rusty had been shot, poking holes in Andrea's story she didn't find out about the shooting until after she got to the hospital.
Citron also testified she believed Andrea and Neuman were having an affair.
After that testimony, Andrea hugged Citron in full view of the jury.
"It was nothing more than Andrea trying to be a good actress in the courtroom," Abt said.
Outside the courtroom, Abt said Andrea threatened Citron, a move that got her banned from the courthouse.
"She was nothing short of venomous," said Abt.
Abt told Petchenik his client had suspicions about Andrea's behavior after the murder.
"There were times when Shayna took pause and thought, 'Why is Andrea acting a particular way or doing a particular thing?' That certainly made Shayna concerned," Abt told Petchenik
"The gun was in his hand, but she, in effect, pulled the trigger," attorney Doug Peters said.
Peters and Robert Rubin both represented Neuman in his own trial.
They told Petchenik the indictment validates what they've claimed all along that Andrea manipulated Neuman to kill.
"She was manipulating him for a number of reasons, including a $2 million jackpot at the end of the day," Rubin said.
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Parents, neighbors react to indictment
Parents at the daycare where Rusty Sneiderman was shot, as well as neighbors on the street where the Sneidermans lived are reacting to news of the indictment this evening.
Those people told Channel 2's Erin Coleman they're not surprised by the indictment and some parents said they're relieved by it.
"I'm glad as a mother I feel really bad for her children I wish she could be with children, but I don't believe she was innocent. I don't believe she was innocent completely," parent Mina Pasha said.
Pasha is a Dunwoody Prep parent. She, like many at the school in Dunwoody, said they had suspicions Andrea Sneiderman would be indicted at some point for her role in the murder of her husband, Rusty Sneiderman .
"People were talking about the possibility she was involved, but wow that's huge to have her indicted on eight counts," parent Susan Hobbs said.
Just about a mile away from the school in the Sneiderman's old neighborhood, neighbors said they saw officers on their street.
"There's been a few cop cars they usually don't come in the neighborhood, but probably about three or four of them roll in and out," neighbor Thomas Knapp said.
Knapp lives right next door to the Sneiderman home, but moved in after the family moved out.
Donald Wareham lives across the street. He is still emotional when he was remembers the shooting on Nov. 8, 2010 as Rusty Sneiderman dropped his 2-year-old son off at daycare.
"At the time it was tough," Wareham said. "I was near the library but I heard the shots."
"It's very sad, you know. I really feel sorry for the kids those little kids are the ones who are going to suffer the most," Hobbs said.
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