With His Own Life in Jeopardy, DiMeo Breaks Down

Despite seeing graphic autopsy photos of his victims, hearing from the victims’ family members and facing the victims’ children almost daily in court, Christopher DiMeo sat stoically in courtroom 5A at the Fairfield County Courthouse for the duration of the trial that found him guilty of the 2005 murders of Kim and Tim Donnelly.

But this week, as his own life is being decided, DiMeo finally cracked. During court on Wednesday, DiMeo wept as he sat at the defense table – his first display of any emotion since the trial commenced in January. The tears came when a defense witness spoke about DiMeo’s mother, who is serving time for her role in the murder of a Glen Head, N.Y. man.

The penalty phase of the DiMeo trial could take considerably longer than it took for the same 12-person jury to hear, deliberate and decide on his guilt for the Feb. 2, 2005 murders of the Donnelly’s.

As the jury hears from the defense’s list of 100 possible witnesses, they will decide whether DiMeo will get the death penalty or serve the rest of his life in prison for the double-homicide of the local couple. DiMeo’s lawyers, Michael Courtney and Jeffrey Hutcoe, are in the midst of presenting their case to convince the 12 jurors that DiMeo shouldn't get the death penalty for his crimes.

State prosecutors opened and closed their portion of evidence on Monday, holding up for the jury Kim Donnelly’s purple, bullet-riddled blouse showing the close range of DiMeo to the victim – a mere three inches. As autopsy photos during the trial revealed, Kim Donnelly was shot five times – once in the upper abdomen, once in the right chest, twice in the back and once in the back of the right arm.

News 12 reported earlier this week that the couple’s daughter, Tara Donnelly, spent only five minutes on the stand, after the judge limited her testimony following a motion from the defense. DiMeo’s attorneys argued her testimony could unfairly prejudice the jury in its final decision.