Shivangi Sinha
In November 2010, Rusty Sneiderman from Dunwoody, Georgia, was dropping his son off at preschool. This was when he was shot in the school’s parking lot, and he later passed away in the hospital. In the days that followed, the police pursued various leads, but no clear answers emerged. Eventually, evidence pointed toward Hemy Neuman, who was Rusty’s wife’s supervisor, and it raised numerous questions about the case. The episode titled ‘Fatal Disguise’ on ABC’s ’20/20′ delves into the details of the investigation and the final court verdict.
Hemy Neuman Was Linked to Rusty Sneiderman’s Murder Through His Rental Van
Hemy Zvi Neuman was born in Israel and later moved to the US in search of new opportunities. He achieved success after studying engineering at Georgia Tech and initially working for a company back in Israel. In the 1990s, he relocated his family, including his then-wife, Ariela Barkoni, and their three children, to Florida. Soon after, he secured a respected position at GE Energy, and Ariela started working at The Epstein School. The family eventually settled in Cobb County, Georgia, where they bought a home and appeared to be thriving.
On the morning of November 18, 2010, entrepreneur Russell Jay “Rusty” Sneiderman was fatally shot outside his child’s preschool in Dunwoody, Georgia. Police promptly arrived on the scene and gathered witness statements, which described the shooter as a man in a ski mask and a long beard, believed by many to be a disguise. Investigators found four shell casings at the scene. After reviewing the surveillance footage, the police also identified the getaway vehicle — a silver Kia Sedona — that had been used by the perpetrator. Police questioned Rusty’s wife, Andrea Sneiderman, and asked if she had any relationships outside her marriage. Andrea revealed that her boss, Hemy Neuman, had shown romantic interest in her, but she claimed to have rejected his advances.
Meanwhile, investigators traced the vehicle — a rental car — to Hemy, who had rented it the day before the shooting and returned it just hours afterward. Forensic analysis of the van revealed fibers from a fake beard. This evidence led to Hemy being brought in for questioning, where he admitted he was both friends with and attracted to Andrea. However, when directly asked if he had killed Rusty, he did not respond. With this evidence, police took him into custody on January 4, 2011. Investigators had also linked the murder weapon, a .40-caliber gun purchased by him just days before the attack, to him. They tracked down the seller and matched the gun’s shell casings to those found at the crime scene. Hemy remained in custody until his trial began in March 2012.
Hemy Neuman’s Defense Team Claimed Insanity During His First Trial
During Hemy Neuman’s first trial, his defense argued that he lived with a mental illness and was not in a rational state of mind at the time of the murder. They claimed he had undiagnosed bipolar disorder and experienced psychosis, leading him to believe he was visited by a “she-demon” who convinced him that Rusty Sneiderman’s children were his own and that he needed to protect them. The defense maintained that due to his mental condition, Hemy was under the delusion that he was in a romantic relationship with Andrea Sneiderman.
Hemy’s younger sister, Monique Metsch, testified during the trial, alleging that both she and Hemy had suffered abuse from their father. The defense argued that he acted under a “rescue delusion,” believing Rusty’s children were experiencing similar mistreatment. They also claimed Andrea Sneiderman had manipulated Hemy and exploited his emotional vulnerability to her advantage. After considering the evidence and testimonies, on March 15, 2012, the jury found him guilty but mentally ill of malice murder, along with possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole plus an additional five years for the weapons charge.
Hemy Neuman is Serving a Life Sentence Today
In March 2014, Hemy Neuman sought a retrial, but the request was initially denied. However, the Georgia Supreme Court later overturned his conviction, citing a violation of attorney-client privilege. He was retried, but this time his insanity defense was unsuccessful. He was found guilty of malice murder and the firearm charge once again and was sentenced to life without parole plus an additional five years for the gun charge. In March 2021, Hemy appealed his sentence, but the high court upheld his previous conviction and sentencing.
Hemy Neuman is currently held at the Augusta State Medical Prison in Augusta, Georgia. Now 62 years old, he is set to spend the remainder of his life behind bars. He and his wife are now separated, and there has been no public information indicating they are in contact. At the time of the attack, all three of his children were in college and have likely moved on with their own lives now.
Read More: Russell “Rusty” Sneiderman: How Did He Die? Who Killed Him?
