http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/lo...cle_b37655f3-a89b-5a77-af0e-e48b7615319c.html
LAWRENCEVILLE Matthew Leili likes to talk. This is well known. His attorney has called him boisterous and opinionated. In tape after tape Leili made of arguments with his wife, he can be heard pressuring Nique to speak to him. Around the Gwinnett County courthouse this week, many speculated that the man would take the stand and defend himself against murder charges.
On Thursday, he declined.
I dont think I can do it. Im too emotional, Leili told Judge Randy Rich.
The defense then rested its case in the trial, which has labored on since last Wednesday and is expected to enter the closing arguments phase Friday morning.
Thursdays proceedings featured the first testimony from supporters of the defendant: his father and the two daughters he had with the victim, now 17 and 14.
The girls each told a story about one day in late June 2011, less than two weeks before their mother disappeared. They said she was hearing voices.
She was just saying she knows what were saying about her and what the voices tell her, 14-year-old Rebecca said, adding that the mother never explained what she meant.
[...]
Prosecutor Lisa Jones, a deputy chief assistant district attorney, suggested when questioning the eldest daughter, Amanda, that Matthew had instructed her not to talk to the mothers family.
Amanda disputed that: We made our own decision we dont like that side of the family.
That side of the family has been suspicious of Matthew from very early on after Nique disappeared. The victims eldest daughter from a previous relationship, Alex Peters, has testified she used to hear her mother telling Matthew to get off her over and over in the night.
Niques family has consistently said Nique had no mental issues. Several of them reported contention in the marriage.
Amanda and Rebecca said their parents had a loving relationship.
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