NEWPORT, Ky., Sept. 20 (UPI) -- A Kentucky man on trial in the killing of his wife says he was sleep-deprived and high on caffeine when he allegedly strangled her with an extension cord.
Woody Will Smith, 33, says he worried his wife was going to leave him and take their two children so he started taking diet pills and drinking large amounts of caffeine to stay awake in May 2009, WCPO-TV, Cincinnati, reported Monday.
Smith's attorney says his client thought Amanda Hornsby-Smith, 28, was having an affair, and he wanted to stay awake to keep his wife from leaving.
A defense psychologist said Smith experienced a brief psychotic episode triggered by the lack of sleep.
But prosecutors said in pretrial hearings Smith did not test positive for caffeine after the killing.
Jury selection began Monday in the Newport, Ky., trial.
