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The Champion, Thursday, June 18 - 24, 2015
LOCAL
Page 17A
Dunwoody daycare killer’s conviction reversed
Hemy Neuman (center) will get his day in court again after the state Supreme Court reversed his conviction
for a 2010 killing. Photo provided by Jason Getz/AJC
by Andrew Cauthen
andrew@dekalbchamp.com
The states top court has
reversed the conviction of
Hemy Neuman, who was
found guilty but mentally ill
of the 2010 murder of Rus
sell “Rusty” Sneiderman
outside a Dunwoody day
care center.
In a 6-to-l decision
announced June 15, the
Supreme Court of Georgia
ruled that the DeKalb Coun
ty Superior Judge Gregory
Adams “erred by allowing
in as evidence the notes and
records of two mental health
experts who examined Neu
man before trial.”
The Supreme Court
stated it made the ruling
despite the fact that the evi
dence “was sufficient to en
able a rational trier of fact to
conclude beyond a reason
able doubt that Neuman was
guilty of the crimes of which
he was convicted.”
“Because the trial court
A Dunwoody man
pleaded guilty June 9 to be
ing a felon in possession of a
firearm when he pulled over
an off-duty Doraville police
officer while impersonating
a Drug Enforcement Ad
ministration’s (DEA) agent.
Daniel M. Harbison,
40, had been impersonating
a federal agent for several
weeks before he was caught.
“By impersonating a
federal agent, Harbison
risked the safety of unsus
pecting citizens and un
dermined the legitimacy of
actual officers,” said acting
U.S. Attorney John A. Horn.
“Fortunately he pulled over
a real Doraville police of
ficer—which quickly led to
the end of his charade and
his arrest.”
Daniel R. Salter, the
special agent in charge of the
DEA’s Atlanta Field Division
said, “These criminal acts
are a disgrace to the men
and women of law enforce
ment who not only make
great sacrifices to earn their
badges, but take a sworn
oath to protect and serve.
“The quick actions of
the Doraville Police De
partment officer who was
fraudulently stopped by this
perpetrator led to his swift
erred in admitting evidence,
which was protected by the
attorney-client privilege, we
now reverse,” Justice Carol
Hunstein writes for the ma
jority.
capture,” Salter said. “DEA
would like to thank the
Federal Bureau of Investiga
tion’s Atlanta office and the
Doraville Police Department
for their hard work which
led to the capture of this
criminal.”
Doraville Police Chief
John King said, “Doraville,
although a very diverse
community, is close knit
where an individual prey
ing on its citizens had the
misfortune to run in to a law
officer.
“Harbison attempted
to make an unlawful traf
fic stop on one of our
off-duty officers,” King
said. “Doraville Police
worked with other agencies
that led to rapid apprehen
sion, prosecution and now
conviction of a person prey
ing on innocence. Harbison
has now pled guilty to be
ing a felon in possession of
a gun while impersonating
a federal agent. He is no
stranger to felonies. We just
hope, for him and our com
munity, this will be his last.”
Harbison began imper
sonating a DEA officer in
the spring of 2015, accord
ing to Horn, the charges,
and other information pre
sented in court.
DeKalb County District
Attorney Robert James
will be prepared to retry
Neuman, who is currently
serving a sentence of life in
prison with no chance of
On April 23, a grand
jury charged Harbison with
being a felon in possession
of a firearm. Harbison will
be sentenced on Aug. 27, at
11 a.m. before United States
District Judge Eleanor L.
Ross.
parole.
In a statement after
the Supreme Court’s rul
ing, Erik Burton, director
of communications for the
DA’s Office, said, “Once
the case is remanded back
to Judge Adams, his office
will place the case on a trial
calendar. The state will be
prepared to retry the case as
set by Judge Adams.
Because Neuman’s re
quest for bond was denied
prior to trial, he will remain
in custody.”
“Mr. Neuman would
have the right to seek re
consideration of the denial
of his bond at which time it
would be up to Judge Adams
to grant or deny such re
quest,” Burton stated.
Neuman, pleaded not
guilty by reason of insanity
for the November 2010 kill
ing of Sneiderman outside
Dunwoody Prep daycare
center where Sneiderman,
a 36-year-old entrepreneur,
was dropping off his 3-year-
old son.
Neuman, donning
a bearded disguise, ap
proached Sneiderman in the
parking lot and with a re
cently purchased .40 caliber
handgun shot Sneiderman
four to five times in the neck
and torso,” according to the
state’s case.
During his 2012 trial,
two medical experts testi
fying on Neuman’s behalf
concluded that “at the time
of the murder, Neuman
was unable to distinguish
between right and wrong
due to a mental illness diag
nosed as ‘bipolar disorder
with psychosis, experiencing
delusions,”’ according to a
news release by the Supreme
Court.
Two medical experts for
the state testified that Neu
man had been able to dis
tinguish between right and
wrong during the shooting.
One expert believed Neu
man was “faking symptoms
of mental illness,” while the
other said Neuman showed
See Neuman on page 24A
NOTICE OF
PROPERTY TAX INCREASE
The City of Chamblee has tentatively adopted a new millage rate of 6.40
mills for the General Fund which will require an increase in property taxes
by 8.60% over the rollback millage rate.
All concerned citizens are invited to the public hearings on this tax
increase to be held at the Chamblee Civic Center located at 3540 Broad St,
Chamblee Georgia on July 1,2015 at 6:00 PM.
Two additional public hearings on this tax increase will be held at the
Chamblee Civic Center on July 9, 2015. There will be one hearing at 11:30
AM and a final hearing at 6:00 PM. After the final public hearing, the
millage rate will be formally adopted.
This tentative new millage rate of 6.40 mills for the newly annexed
properties will result in an increase of .507 mills. Without this tentative tax
increase, the millage rate will be 5.893 mills. The proposed tax increase for a
home with a fair market value of $125,000 is approximately $11.40 and the
proposed tax increase for non-homestead property with a fair market value
of $450,000 is approximately $102.06.
Felon pleads guilty to impersonating
an armed federal agent