SANFORD, Fla — Jurors found an Oviedo woman guilty of murder in the shooting death of her estranged husband.
Anita Smithey began crying and collapsed into the arms of her attorney when the verdict was read Thursday afternoon. Family and friends in the courtroom began crying as well.
During closing arguments earlier in the day prosecutors said Smithey was a liar and a bad actress.
Smithey was charged with second-degree murder in the death of Robert Cline.
Channel 9's Roy Ramos said Smithey appeared emotional as her defense attorney delivered closing arguments.
Before closing arguments began Thursday, jurors viewed five clips of a taped interview with detectives where Smithey did not appear to show any emotion.
The day began with the state calling Oviedo police Detective Matthew DePanicis to the witness stand to confirm an interview he did with Smithey.
Jurors watched an edited version of the interview where Smithey is heard saying she and her estranged husband had been wrestling over a knife and that is how she stabbed herself.
Later, Smithey said she stabbed herself after Cline had been shot twice.
"It was a very traumatic situation for me and I don’t know, maybe I am filling in the holes. I am not lying. I don't remember where I stabbed myself," Smithey said in the interview. "I know that I freaked out and I did it. I am admitting to you that I did it."
During closing arguments, Smithey became emotional when her attorney played her 911 call.
Prosecutors claimed Smithey shot her husband and then stabbed herself to make it appear she was the victim.
The defense argued Smithey was the victim and shot her husband in self-defense as he raped her at knifepoint, following consensual sex between the two.
Jurors began deliberating the case around 2:30 p.m. and returned the verdict around 5:15 p.m.
Channel 9's Roy Ramos was in the courtroom whent the verdict was delivered and will have details on Eyewitness News at 6.
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