JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A man accused of murdering his wife 23 years ago and burying her body in the backyard of their Jacksonville home wants the court to suppress statements made by his then 3-year-old son to police in 1993.
Bonnie Haim's remains were found in December 2014 by workers digging out an old pool in the backyard of the Dolphin Avenue home. The remains were identified through DNA analysis in August 2015, and her husband, Michael Haim, was charged with her murder.
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Bonnie Haim's son, Aaron Haim, was 3 years old when she disappeared in 1993. Police said he was the primary witness in the case.
Aaron Haim, who now goes by Aaron Fraser, told police at the time that he saw his father shoot and kill his mother.
Michael Haim and his lawyer argued Friday in Duval County court that those statements should not be admitted at Haim's murder trial.
The defense said Aaron made contradictory statements to several people, and at one point said he never saw his father harm his mother. The defense also said Aaron can’t remember now exactly what he saw, so the 1993 statements are unreliable, and should not be presented to the jury.
The judge said he would rule by Feb 2.
Aaron Fraser won a $26.3 million wrongful death lawsuit against his father in April 2005. At the time, his mother's remains had not been found.