Prosecution Rests, Defense Presents First Witnesses In Demeniuk Murder Trial

After calling two final witnesses Wednesday afternoon, the prosecution rested its case against Leslie Demeniuk.

Prosecutors say Demeniuk killer her 4-year-old twin sons in cold blood in 2001.

Over the past week prosecutors have called numerous witnesses to the stand including Demeniuk's ex-husband, her boyfriend who found the boys dead in Demeniuk's father's Ponte Vedra Beach home, and a homicide detective who was one of the first people to arrive at the crime scene.

Before the state rested its case it put two more key witnesses on the stand. One, an expert who examined the scene following the murders and the other a medical examiner who described exactly what happened to the two children.

After the prosecution rested it case Demeniuk's defense lawyers began the daunting task of convincing the jury she did not know what she was doing when she shot her sons to death.

The first witness the defense called was psychologist Dr. David Menkes, who examined Demeniuk in 2002, more than a year after the crime was committed.

Menkes practices medicine in Britain and specializes in treating depression.

"Given the particularly horrific details of what happened on March 17, 2001, I was very motivated to try to understand the best I could, what happened and how it happened," said Menkes.

Demeniuk's attorneys argued that the combination of two anti-depressants Zoloft and Paxil, along with the sedative Zantac and alcohol, contributed to her actions at her in 2001.

Menkes confirmed that the side effects from the combination of drugs could be severe.

"What worries me is that it is often done without a great deal of planning or monitoring. Of course the possibility of a side effect of two drugs is much greater than with one drug at a time," Menkes said.

The defense says the combination left Demeniuk temporarily insane.

Demeniuk's defense is expected to last at least one more day. The prosecution will be able to call rebuttal witnesses before closing arguments.

Previous Stories:

• January 10, 2006: Jury In Demeniuk Murder Trial Hears Grim Crime Scene Evidence
• January 9, 2006: Boyfriend Of Woman On Trial In Sons' Murder Says Drugs Changed Her Behavior
• January 6, 2006: Father Of Slain Twins First To Testify In Murder Trial For Ex-Wife
• January 5, 2006: Jury Selected In Trial For Mother Accused Of Shooting Twins
• January 4, 2006: Trial Begins Of Mother Accused Of Killing 4-Year-Old Twins
• March 4, 2004: Judge Allows Insanity Defense For Mother Accused Of Killing Twins
• April 26, 2002: Detective: Woman Killed Twins To Spite Ex-Husband
• March 21, 2001: Drugs, Alcohol Can Induce Violent Behavior, Doctors Say
• March 20, 2001: 911 Tapes: Boyfriend Finds Twins' Bodies, Panics
• March 19, 2001: Mother Charged With Killing Twin Sons