Witnesses testify about Essa's affair

CLEVELAND - Lawyers for Yazeed Essa, the former local doctor accused of poisoning his wife by giving her cyanide, began to build their case on Tuesday.

Since the beginning of the trial, the defense has been trying to show that Marguerita Montanez was in love with Yazeed Essa and has a motive for killing his wife.

Defense witness Ron Onesko told jurors that four months before Rosemarie Essa’s death, Montanez came to him distraught about hearing that Yazeed Essa had been seen with another woman.

"She said something to me that was out of the ordinary, something I'll never forget: I can't believe I have to find out from my husband that my boyfriend is cheating on me,” Onesko said.

Montanez denied that conversation when she testified for the prosecution last week. Another defense witness, a former employee of Essa’s satellite TV business, told jurors he caught Yazeed Essa and Montanez together in 2004.

Montanez had already admitted to the affair with Essa, however, she testified last week that she did not love him and that the affair ended before his wife’s death.

Wednesday will be the fifth anniversary of Rosemarie Essa’s death.