Staten Island, NEW YORK

March 21, 2008 - Janet Redmond-Mercereau, 38, a Tottenville High School teacher, was indicted by Richmond County grand jury of killing her husband, a New York fire marshal, with three gunshots to the head while he slept. He was murdered in December.

She was charged with second-degree murder, criminal possession of a weapon and tampering with physical evidence. She claims she didn't hear gunfire because she was wearing earplugs and was sleeping in another room with one of her children.

According to the indictment, the defendant tampered with evidence found at the scene. Prosecutors alleged that she wiped traces of evidence off the Smith and Wesson pistol, removed shell casings and washed her clothing in an attempt to conceal the alleged crime. Then waited two hours to call police. She entered a plea of not guilty.

BAIL DENIED April 15 - Justice Leonard P. Rienzi denied defense attorney request for $1 million bail and house arrest. Justice Rienzi followed Justice Stephen J. Rooney's bail denial last month and remanded (sent back to custody) Redmond-Mercereau on charges of second-degree murder, three counts of tampering with evidence, and two counts of weapon possession. She is due back in court on May 30.

HEARING October 31 - At a hearing, a retired detective testified that detectives questioned Redmond-Mercereau despite being notified by her attorney that he was her lawyer and instructing detectives not to question the widow.

The retired detective's admissions yesterday could throw a monkey wrench into the prosecutors' case should a judge rule that any statements made by police or Mrs. Redmond-Mercereau outside of her attorney's presence are inadmissible during a trial.

Her lawyers want her statements to police thrown out. The trial is set to start in early December.