Essa trial headed for closing arguments

CLEVELAND - Prosecutors called two rebuttal witnesses to the stand Thursday in the Yazeed Essa murder trial. The former emergency room doctor is charged with poisoning his wife, Rosemarie, with cyanide-laced calcium pills. 

Steve Crandall, who said he was a friend of the Essas, testified that Yazeed was giving Rosemarie calcium to help prevent osteoporosis. 

Crandall said Essa told him he gave his wife a double dose of calcium on the day she died.

"He mentioned sometimes she would take them, sometimes she wouldn't. And he said the day that she left I called her over.  She was walking out the door and I called her over and said come here, you've gotta take these pills. I gave her a double dose," Crandall said.

Another rebuttal witness told jurors Yazeed Essa spoke rudely to his wife during a Christmas party. Cynthia Page worked with Essa at an Akron hospital.  She said when Rosemarie Essa asked Page's husband what country he was from Yazeed "told her to shut up and sit down."

The defense rested its case on Wednesday,  the fifth anniversary of Rosemarie's death, without calling Yazeed Essa to the witness stand.  Closing arguments are scheduled for Monday.