MCLEAN, Va. (WUSA9) -- The man accused of a horrific, near fatal attack on a couple in their McLean, Virginia home tried to explain his actions on the witness stand.
Andrew Schmuhl took the stand in his own defense, but said he couldn't remember anything that happened the night of November 9, 2014, because of all the medication he was on.
"It was weirdness on top of weirdness," said Andrew Schmuhl, describing the way more than a dozen prescribed medications made him feel. He said he began taking pain medications for an injury he sustained while doing extreme push-ups on the ice during PT while he was in the Army in 2010.
He listed more than a dozen medications he was on including the powerful opioids Fentanyl and Dilaudid as well as Xanax for depression, a stool softener, high blood pressure medicine and even the fertility drug Clomid.
Schmuhl said the medications made him constipated, and sometimes urinated and defecated at the same time. The meds also made him dizzy, constantly sweat, and gave him chronic insomnia, he said.
"My life was very miserable," said Schmuhl. He said during the summer of 2014, he wife would go to work and he would spent most of his time in the bathtub.
Prosecutor Fairfax County Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney Casey Lingan rosecutor asked Schmuhl to explain a photo of him on top of his roof doing repair work. He is standing on the roof and his mother is sitting behind him on the roof. Schmuhl said he was only up there for a short time and felt sick afterwards.
Lingan asked Schmuhl about an all-day kickball tournament he played and pitched in that summer, even posing and smiling in a group picture. Schmuhl said he remembered not feeling well.
Police dash cam video shows the Alecia and Andrew Schmuhl speeding on the Beltway from McLean to Springfield. When they finally pulled over outside a shopping center, Schmuhl had stripped and is seen wearing only an adult diaper.
Schumhl is accused attacking Leo Fisher and Sue Duncan in retaliation for Fisher firing his wife Alecia.
The two Schmuhl's were text messaging each other but on the stand, Schmuhl said he didn't remember.
He also said he didn't remember going with his wife when she purchased a Taser used in the attack.
Lingan asked Schmuhl about setting up two pre-paid cell phones. "As hazy as your member is on the 7th, you remember you didn't set that up on the 7th?"
"Yes," said Schmuhl. "I don't remember to a negative. I can't specifically say I don't remember something I don't remember," he said.
And Schmuhl said he doesn't remember much from a trip to the Shenandoah Valley the day of the attack on November 9th.
"I didn't want to go anywhere," said Schmuhl.
"Just long enough to establish an alibi, right?" Quizzed Lingan.
Schmuhl said he couldn't anything from the night of Nov. 9th.
In rapid-fire questions, Lingan asked, "You don't remember deciding to kill Mr. Fisher?
Schmuhl said, "No."
Lingan asked: "Don't remember cutting his throat? Don't remember aiming at Sue Duncan? Don't remember jumping on her to prevent her from all 911? Don't stabbing her in the face and neck?
Each time Schmuhl answered "no."
Lingan said, "You don't remember anything. So anything could have happened?"
"Yes," said Schmuhl.
Psychiatrist Dr. Eileen Ryan, an expert witness for the defense, was called and testified that the medications Schmuhl was on could cause fatigue and confusion. When she testified that one of the medicines could also cause psychosis, Lingan objected and the jury was asked to leave.
A lengthy arguement ensued between Judge Randy Bellows and Schmuhl's attorney Andrew Haywood who is trying to claim his client suffered from involuntary intoxication.
Our editorial partners at The Washington Post detailed when the issue came up at a pre-trial hearing.
Judge Bellows told Haywood that saying a medication caused "Psychosis" is akin to building an insanity defense, which he cannot do because it was not requested in the proper manner and timeframe.
The Schmuhl Trial is in it's fourth week. It could go to the jury this week. Alecia Schmuhl faces a separate trial.
