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Provo • Prosecutors told a jury Tuesday morning that the evidence shows that Conrad Mark Truman is guilty of murdering his wife in their Orem home in 2012.
But defense attorney Ron Yengich began his closing argument by saying: "He did not kill his wife."
Truman, 32, is charged with first-degree felony murder and second-degree felony obstructing justice in the death of his 25-year-old wife, Heidy Truman.
Prosecutors have claimed Conrad Truman killed his wife in order to collect nearly $1 million in life insurance benefits.
But Yengich said prosecutors have shown "is that a young lady died from one gunshot wound to the head. That's all they've shown."
Yengich told a jury during opening statements three weeks ago, and reiterated Tuesday, that Heidy Truman likely died by accident — that she shot herself when she slipped and fell while holding a handgun after taking a bath.
Prosecutors, however, said they have shown that Conrad Truman held a gun directly to Heidy Truman's head and that it is unreasonable to believe she shot herself in head while falling.
Prosecutor Craig Johnson said of Yengich's assertions: "A woman draws a bath, gets naked and then comes out and shoots herself. Is that reasonable? It's not."
"This [the gun] was pressed right up against her skull," Johnson said, referencing the medical examiner's report.
But Yengich countered: "To believe the state's theory in this case, you have to believe [Conrad Truman] walked up, put that gun to her head and shot her."
"Where is the evidence in that?" Yengich asked. "This isn't a game, ladies and gentleman."
Yengich continued: "Under oath, that young man right there looked you in the eye and told you he didn't kill his wife."
Last Thursday, Conrad Truman took the witness stand in his own defense, telling the jurors several times that he did not kill his wife.
The first question asked by defense attorney James Park: "Did you shoot your wife?"
"No," Truman replied.
Truman was outwardly calm and soft-spoken throughout his testimony. He told the jury about his marriage to Heidy Truman, and how they would leave love notes for one another throughout their home.
Eventually, Conrad Truman discussed the night of Sept. 30, 2012, when the woman was fatally shot in their Orem home.
The night Heidy Truman died, her husband said they had been watching the television shows "Dexter" and "Homeland" and drinking Maker's Mark whiskey when at some point, he heard yelling outside.
Conrad Truman testified that he grabbed his dog and his gun and went to investigate. He did see a strange man on his walk, he testified, and told his wife about it when he returned home.
The couple continued talking about various topics, including whether they should get another dog, when Heidy Truman became irritated with him and decided to take a bath, the husband testified.
After about 20 minutes, Conrad Truman said he heard a pop and looked at his wife, who was standing naked in the hallway.
"It was my wife," he testified. "There was a choking sound and blood. Everything happened so fast. It's way too difficult to explain."
The husband testified that somehow both he and his wife ended up on the floor. He tried to perform CPR and called 911.
When police arrived, they found blood everywhere — in the kitchen where Heidy Truman's naked body lay, in the front entry, the living room, a bedroom, a bathroom and on Truman himself.
Police began to suspect Conrad Truman of murder when he told conflicting stories about her death, saying at different times that an intruder could have been in the home, that someone may have shot her through a window or that his wife shot herself.
"I know I didn't have a gun," Conrad Truman testified. "I know I didn't shoot a gun. I was just doing the best I could to find an analytical way to find out what happened."
Twitter: @jm_miller