Wednesday, February 29, 2012

An update from the trial today and I miss Rusty


9:39 a.m. Monday - When interviewing Hemy Neuman, Lt. Barnes says that Hemy said that "he had feelings for Andrea Sneiderman." But he denied having sexual relations with Mrs. Sneiderman.

This same guy told the real estate agent that he did have sexual relations with Andrea.

Hmmmm...my point is that this man cannot be trusted. However if I was a neutral party, I would think that his statement to the police should be more trusted than any comments that he made to his real estate agent.

I hope the media makes a point to mention this. I've been asked to come on several media outlets to speak on Andrea's behalf. I'm not doing so because I respect the privacy that Andrea and her family need. I am allowing all media outlets to use my blog for their website as this is my way of defending Andrea.

This is also something from Andrea's attorney this past weekend:

"Mrs. Sneiderman knew she was going to get beaten up on the witness stand," lawyer Seth Kirschenbaum said in a statement provided exclusively to the AJC. "[She] has always cooperated in this case, and she wanted to help the prosecution even if it meant being subjected to withering attack."

Andrea was very brave for subjecting herself to this but that's the type of person our Andrea is. She doesn't care what you think about her. She cares that this horrible man get sent to prison for the rest of his life so that no one else is ever subjected to his predatory actions.

Here is something that many of you may not know about Andrea:

During the funeral in which I gave a eulogy for my friend, Andrea was a mess. She could barely walk. I saw her cry. I saw the pain in her eyes. I saw the hurt. Andrea is a tough woman. She is a project manager so on trial you see a woman who wants to take control of the situation because that's how she's wired. Some people see the way she acts and immediately perceive that she's mean. That's not it at all. If you see her at home, you'll see a different picture. You'll see how much this trial and losing her husband has done to her. I've seen or heard her cry more than a dozen times I'm sure. I've seen all the pictures that she put around the house of her husband. She loved him and she was committed to him.

I have also had many people tell me that I don't know much of this story. Trust me, I do. My friend is innocent and I will continue to be by her side in this. I know how much she loved her husband. I saw it on many occasions - prior to and after his untimely death. There are a lot of people who back me on this as well. I hope they will make comments on my blog to support our friend.

This trial is dividing a community and it's a shame. I don't like the fact that there is one attorney in particular that is using this awful tragedy for her own selfish personal gain.

Two children lost a father. A wife lost a husband. Two parents lost a son. A brother lost his brother. Several children lost an uncle. And there are people like myself who lost a good friend. This is not an event to find your 15 minutes of fame.

Since my blog has picked up local and even national exposure, let me tell you about the man that was Rusty Sneiderman.

In order to repay me for dinner once, he fixed the gutter at our house.

Our conversations always ended with him saying, "How can I help you to further your career?" He was a very unselfish person who gave to so many charities and who made his friends feel like they always received his undivided attention.

He was the sponsorship chairman of our softball tournament and helped us to raise more money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. With Rusty's help, we've raised over $1.25 million in a dozen years.

He loved his wife and he adored his children. He was a great dad and husband.

He had a terrific sense of humor. He hated his Wii FIT because it told him he was out of shape for his age. He told me he couldn't understand what he was doing paying for a machine to tell him that he was obese and old.

We miss him every day and when this trial is over, his death will be avenged but all of us will still have lost out because we lost our Rusty.

Because he meant so much to me, I included a chapter about Rusty in my book The Drive at 35 (www.andylipman.com/books.cfm). If you want to learn more about the man that made me a better man and did so much for so many, please get a signed copy.

Please keep the Sneiderman family in your prayers specifically Andrea and her two beautiful children.

Andy

4 comments:

  1. Another well written and well said blog entry Andy. You are right, there are many of Andrea and Rusty's friends that support her; myself included. Thank you for defending her and for reminding people where the focus should be.

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  2. You are a good friend, Andy. Andrea, and all your other friends, are very lucky to have you in their lives.

    I don't think Andrea played a part in having Rusty murdered. But, there is a direct link between her actions (whether she actually had a physical affair with Mr. Neuman or not, although I tend to think she did) and why Rusty got killed. I'm not saying she could have known that or predicted that. But, she was playing with fire when she got so emotionally close and intimate with Hemy Neuman.

    Every marriage has its difficulties. It sounds like she got swept away by the romance of her trips and her boss. She made a mistake and it is unfortunately one that she is paying for every day of her life.

    But, my question is - why not just say that? Why not admit that? She had an affair with a crazy man and, I'm assuming, is sorry. Why deny what is obviously written in hundreds of texts and emails?

    I for one would have much more sympathy for her if she took some personal responsibility for HER actions (not Hemy's).

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  3. If she had an affair with a crazy man, it would have been a lot easier for her to say this than to testify and argue and defend. A lot easier.

    The issue is that not only did she not have an affair, but she is being criticized for being angry that from the moment Rusty was killed that she was a prime suspect. She has been treated as a suspect rather than a victim and no matter what she does or has done, it is criticized.

    I send more emails and texts with my coworkers than my spouse and I'm not sleeping with any of them.

    I have consumed alcohol with coworkers on nearly every business trip yet I haven't slept with my coworkers.

    I routinely schedule adjoining room blocks and airplane seats. But I'm not a member of the mile high club.

    If your and your kid's lives were turned upside down by the ultimate betrayal of a supposed friend, wouldn't you be angry? I would be.

    The police never trusted her. Why would she be so eager to cooperate with them? Currently they still want to find a way to link her to this crime.

    I don't agree with the above comment that there is "obviously" something going on from texts and emails. Where does she say "I love you" or "you were amazing last night" or "let's kill my husband and be together"? It just isn't there.

    People are so quick to believe what is simple. The police and the prosecution are no different. It MUST be the wife because who would kill another person's spouse? Therefore it must be. But in reality, Hemy Neuman is a calculated cold blooded killer who is absolutely crazy. What part of this entire story isn't crazy? Did he know the difference between right and wrong? absolutely. But it must have been the wife because I'd personally have a hard time sleeping if i thought that any of my coworkers that had made a pass at me and been rejected would kill my spouse.

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  4. Andy again I can understand the need to defend a friend. However this may be a case of being too close to the subject.

    The testimony (if it is to be believed) has been pretty damming regarding Andrea. Neuman is a nut I would agree. This is what I refer to as the OJ Rule. Never let a love interest cause you to lose it all and/or throw it all away. Neuman is just a creepy little guy who had a hideous wife and had a midlife crisis over a younger woman showing him attention. The story is nothing new. This happens every day. He may be sick but that's no excuse. He planned, laid in wait, used a firearm, took extreme measures to cover it up, then lied though his teeth to the police. He deserves to be executed sick or not. Good riddance.

    The problems with Andrea are the combative nature on the stand and then this frankly crazy behavior with the Citron woman. Add this to the emails, the number of instances of communication, the whole testimony thus far and it all adds up to..she's lying.

    Lying in and of itself in this case is not what concerns me. I can see her lying to hide the affair but when it came out why would she continue to lie unless she has a reason. That reason is she either manipulated this guy into doing this or flat out planned it. I think she planned it. She told him where to pull the hit and she told him about the insurance money and they did it. She could easily say the guy was crazy if she had been having an affair that got out of hand and he shot Rusty on his own. However she is lying to keep her part in the crime from coming out. My belief is that once this guy is convicted on First Degree Murder and is in jail while Andrea cavorts all over town he is going to start talking and she will be charged. If she gets away with it so be it. I have never seen a trial where the defense and the prosecution attacked widow. They must have some real good information but not enough evidence. With Andrea's crazy behavior she just might give them what they need to move.

    Anyone who believes this woman had not part in this murder is delusional or just trying to be a good friend. As I said earlier the real tragedy is when these kids read this stuff and figure out she had to have been having an affair and this whole story is not credible.

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