In closing statements, prosecutors described Michelle Theer as the mastermind behind her husband's death. They said Theer's husband, Capt. Marty Theer, was an unsuspecting victim. Prosecutor Greg Butler said Theer has a "dark, deceitful, manipulative, cynical, cold, evil heart."
Butler also said the airman "never had a chance to say goodbye. He never again had a chance to fly the planes he loved so much."
The prosecution has been trying to convince jurors that Theer had conspired with her lover, Army Staff Sgt. John Diamond, to kill her husband. Marty Theer was shot and killed on Dec. 17, 2000, at his wife's office.
However, Theer's lawyers warned the jury not to get distracted. Attorney Kirk Osborn reminded jurors that the case is about murder, not adultery. Osborn said Theer is "not on trial for having sex with many men. She is not on trial for having a sexual addiction if that is what she had."
Osborn even addressed rumors he and Theer are more than just attorney and client, saying "I am happily married. She is not manipulating me. She does not have me under her spell."
Deliberations are set to begin around 10:15 a.m. Friday.
Michelle Theer's family said her affair does not mean she is a murderer.
"I see it as a woman who was very lonely. Marty was gone a lot and they were having problems," said Ann Hoefler, Michelle Theer's mother.
On Wednesday, Theer's lawyers read e-mails found on Michelle Theer's computer. Some exchanges were between Theer and her mother; others were with Theer's close friend. They included talk about her marital problems.
Prosecutors said Theer ran from the law, changed her appearance, changed her name and read up on hiding in the United States. Her family said she was just trying to start a new life.
"We believe so firmly, so deeply, that she's innocent, that I see her being acquitted," Hoefler said.
Diamond is serving a life sentence in a military prison for killing Theer's husband. If convicted of first-degree murder, Theer faces a life sentence without possibility of parole.
Copyright 2024 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
