"Myself along with many others believe that my brother David Ragsdale is innocent and was not conscious when this tragic act was committed," sister Tamara Ragsdale told the press after a scheduled hearing in 4th District Court. She described her brother as a victim of an overly drug-dependent culture.

The hearing was delayed until April 9 while a defense-requested psychological evaluation of Ragsdale is completed.

Tamara Ragsdale said Kristy Ragsdale, who prosecutors say was shot 12 times by her husband as she was walking into a church service, "pressured him into going in to this nurse practitioner and putting his faith and trust in her."

Ragsdale was taking seven "heavy medications" prescribed by this nurse at the time of the alleged murder, Tamara Ragsdale said, which included medication for ADD, two anti-depressants and two forms of testosterone, prescribed for a diagnosis of low testosterone. She said she had noticed "something wrong" about Ragsdale's behavior in the weeks prior to the shooting, including episodes of blacking out.

Ragsdale had been on several of the drugs for about a year, others for just a few months prior to the shooting, Tamara Ragsdale said. She said his nurse was not adequately monitoring the medications' side effects, which she said are listed as including manic reactions, homicidal tendencies, psychosis and amnesia.

The Lehi Police Department and the Utah County Attorney's Office said they have never been asked to investigate the nurse who was giving Ragsdale prescriptions.

"It's curious that they would bring this up now, two months later," said Utah County Deputy Attorney Craig Johnson, adding that when police interviewed members of the Ragsdale family, "none of them mentioned this to them."

"If there's a well-founded claim that police can corroborate, we will certainly investigate," Johnson said.

David Ragsdale is "waking up to the horror of this reality" as he comes off his medications, Tamara Ragsdale told reporters. She read a statement she said her brother had given her during a jail visit.

"Words cannot describe how incredibly sorry I am for the death of my wife Kristy," read the statement. "I want the Palizzi family [Kristy Ragsdale's family] and everyone to know I would do anything to bring her back, even if it meant giving up my own life."

Johnson said the prosecution hopes to avoid having Kristy Ragsdale's mother, who watched her daughter's shooting, testify at trial. Prosecutors have not yet decided whether they will pursue the death penalty.