Schmidt takes the witness stand

APPLETON - In an unexpected move by the defense, former Appleton firefighter Scott Schmidt took the stand Tuesday.

Schmidt is on trial for the murder of his wife and attempted murder of his mother-in-law.  Investigators say he gunned down Kelly Wing-Schmidt and wounded Barbara Wing in their Grand Chute driveway last April.

Nearly a year later, the story people have waited to hear, came with emotion.

"I grabbed her head because she was bleeding from her head and I couldn't stop it or slow it down," Schmidt said wiping away tears. "I knew it had to be bad."

Schmidt doesn't deny shooting and killing his estranged wife or wounding his mother-in-law, but testified in court he didn't want them to die. His attorney is seeking lesser charges of reckless homicide.

"Did you intend to kill your wife?" his attorney Greg Petit asked. "No, I did not," Schmidt answered. "Did you intend to kill your mother-in-law?" Petit questioned. "No, I did not Barb," Schmidt said looking directly at Wing.

During the lengthy testimony, Schmidt talked about his troubled marriage and efforts to win Kelly back.

"I wanted to talk to her, work this out," he explained.

Instead, Schmidt says things went horribly wrong.

"I remember pushing the door open and I remember hearing a shot, but I don't remember shooting her," he told the court.

Schmidt described frantic moments, as Kelly lay wounded in the driveway.

"I told her I was sorry and I didn't want to live without her," he said.

Schmidt says he put the gun to his head, but Kelly told him to stop.

"Don't do it the kids need you," he said recalling the day.

He says Kelly told him she'd always love him and asked if he'd called an ambulance.

"She asked me who's hands were over her and I said it was the angels coming to take her home," Schmidt testified.

While Schmidt says he didn't want his wife to die, prosecutors argue the act was intentional.
They will get the chance to question Schmidt on Wednesday.

Depending on the length of testimony, the case could go to the jury by Wednesday afternoon.