The trial of Dr. Johnny Wall
On Sept. 27, 2011, research scientist Uta von Schwedler was found dead in a bathtub in her Salt Lake City home. Uta's son, Pelle Wall, fought to see his own father, Johnny Wall, stand trial for her murder.
Photos: The crime scene and evidence
The Trial Begins
More than three years after Uta von Schwedler's death, the murder trial of Dr. Johnny Wall took place in the Scott M. Matheson Courthouse in Salt Lake City. This was a day his son, Pelle Wall, had been waiting for with much anticipation.
Photos: The crime scene and evidence
Photos: Family divided after mother's mysterious death
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Fighting for his Mother
Pelle Wall, 21, had a front row seat to his father's four-week-long murder trial. The legal battle Pelle waged against his father cost him nearly his entire inheritance from his mother. He has no regrets.
Photos: The crime scene and evidence
Photos: Family divided after mother's mysterious death
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Murder or Suicide?
During opening statements, Prosecutor Anna Rossi tells jurors that while the State's case is largely circumstantial, the evidence overwhelmingly points to Johnny Wall as Uta's killer. But Johnny's defense attorney Fred Metos insists Uta committed suicide.
Photos: The crime scene and evidence
Photos: Family divided after mother's mysterious death
Watch: "48 Hours:" Father and Son
First on the Scene
First to take the stand, Uta's boyfriend, Nils Abramson, who testified to discovering Uta's body. During Abramson's cross examination, defense attorney Fred Metos zeroes in on him as a suspect. But when the prosecution asked if he killed Uta, Abramson replies, "No."
Photos: The crime scene and evidence
Photos: Family divided after mother's mysterious death
Watch: "48 Hours:" Father and Son
Son Testifies Against Father
As the star prosecution witness, Pelle Wall took the stand and testified to Johnny Wall's bizarre behavior the day after Uta von Schwedler's body was discovered. Pelle told the jury that his father had a terrible eye injury and was absent from their home the morning Uta's body was found.
Photos: The crime scene and evidence
Photos: Family divided after mother's mysterious death
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A Broken Relationship
While testifying against his father, Pelle's focus was to talk directly to the jury. Pelle says he knew he would look at Johnny eventually, but that there would be no warm feelings between father and son.
Photos: The crime scene and evidence
Photos: Family divided after mother's mysterious death
Watch: "48 Hours:" Father and Son
Battle of the Experts
The prosecution's blood expert, Rod Englert, testified that the blood spatter at the crime scene was consistent with a violent struggle. The prosecution believes Johnny Wall murdered a helpless Uta after he injected her with Xanax. Dr. Wall had written a prescription for Xanax just 4 months prior to her death.
Photos: The crime scene and evidence
Photos: Family divided after mother's mysterious death
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Analyzing Blood Spatter
The defense's blood expert, Anita Zannin, maintained that the blood stains at the scene only show movement. Zannin testified that there is no way to determine what caused that movement, eliminating the possibility that there could have been a struggle when Uta died.
Photos: The crime scene and evidence
Photos: Family divided after mother's mysterious death
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The Suicide Argument
Defense expert Judy Melinek, a forensic pathologist, testified that the knife wounds on Uta's wrist and leg were consistent with self-injury and suicide. The prosecution, however, believes the scene was staged by Dr. Wall to look like a suicide.
Photos: The crime scene and evidence
Photos: Family divided after mother's mysterious death
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The Tale of the Tape
The prosecution introduced Johnny's interrogation and deposition videos as evidence. Hours after Uta's body was found, Johnny was questioned by detectives and couldn't remember events that occurred just a day before. But 18 months later in his deposition, Johnny was able to account for his whereabouts.
Video: The interrogation of Johnny Wall
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Uta's State of Mind
Dr. Marcella Fierro, the prosecution's final witness, stamped out any notion that Uta von Schwedler might have been depressed causing her to commit suicide. After analyzing Uta's medical and psychological history, Dr. Fierro testified that Uta had no reason to kill herself.
Photos: The crime scene and evidence
Photos: Family divided after mother's mysterious death
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Defense Closing Argument
Metos explained to the jury that Uta had been suffering from depression at the time of her death. Metos said that Uta was feeling left out of her children's lives, which led her to take the Xanax, self-injure and then drown in her own tub.
Photos: The crime scene and evidence
Photos: Family divided after mother's mysterious death
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Prosecution's Closing Argument
During the State's closing statements, Prosecutor Matthew Janzen insists that Uta's mental state was fine at the time of her death. She had no reason to kill herself. Janzen told the jury that Johnny Wall killed Uta because he was afraid of losing the custody battle.
Photos: The crime scene and evidence
Photos: Family divided after mother's mysterious death
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Jury Deliberations Begin
After closing arguments Judge James Blanch gave the jury instructions and deliberations began. The jury would have to decide if Johnny Wall killed his ex-wife, Uta von Schwedler, or if Uta killed herself.
Photos: The crime scene and evidence
Photos: Family divided after mother's mysterious death
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A Family's Anticipation
An eight-member jury deliberated for seven hours before reaching a verdict. Uta von Schwedler's family and friends had been waiting for this moment for over three years. Pelle and his family raced back to the courthouse as soon as they heard there was a verdict.
Photos: The crime scene and evidence
Photos: Family divided after mother's mysterious death
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A Guilty Verdict
In the packed courtroom sat two families hoping for two very different verdicts. After four weeks of testimony, the jury found Johnny Wall guilty of murdering his ex-wife, Uta von Schwedler.
Photos: The crime scene and evidence
Photos: Family divided after mother's mysterious death
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Johnny Wall's Family Reacts
Johnny's sister, Wendy Wall, and the rest of his family were devastated by the verdict. The family released the following statement, "This verdict will not bring Uta back. Now, to that tragedy has been added the conviction of an innocent man."
Photos: The crime scene and evidence
Photos: Family divided after mother's mysterious death
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Justice for Uta
After hearing that his father had been found guilty, Pelle Wall said, "It was like a huge weight had just dropped off. Lot of relief, a lot of happiness." For Pelle, his family and friends, justice had been served and they could finally start to heal and move on with their lives.
In July 2015, Johnny Wall was sentenced to 15-years-to-life.
Video: Pelle speaks out following verdict
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In Memory of Uta
Pelle Wall finally had his father's conviction, but no verdict could fill the void of the mother he lost. For Pelle he wants people to remember the real Uta, a woman full of life and color. The woman with the curly red hair.
Photos: The crime scene and evidence