Copyright 2007, Margaret H. Small Damian Bradford on the witness stand yesterday

AKRON, Ohio -- Damian Bradford told a jury yesterday in matter-of-fact style that he murdered a Pennsylvania physician with a gunshot to the face and that the doctor's wife was his partner in the crime.

		A guide to the Moonda case Previous Post-Gazette articles, photos and graphics, plus federal court documents, are available on our Moonda index page. Listen in Staff writer Milan Simonich reports from Akron, Ohio, that during today's testimony, Damian Bradford tied Donna Moonda to her husband's murder.

Mr. Bradford, 25, is perhaps the prosecution's most important witness against Donna Moonda, who is on trial for her life in federal court.

He testified for five hours yesterday, and Mrs. Moonda wept loudly during much of Mr. Bradford's first two hours on the witness stand, as he described her as a woman who wanted her husband to die a violent death so she could get his money.

If jurors believe Mr. Bradford's story, Mrs. Moonda, 48, will either be put to death or spend the rest of her life in prison. If they don't, she could walk free.

Through her lawyers, Mrs. Moonda says she had nothing to do with the murder of her husband, Dr. Gulam Moonda, who was shot to death on the Ohio Turnpike in May 2005 as she sat next to him in their parked Jaguar.

Mrs. Moonda watched in broad daylight as Mr. Bradford stole her husband's wallet and then shot him. Her defense is built around her claim that she simply did not recognize Mr. Bradford, even though she had been involved with him romantically for a year. Her lawyers say he could have worn a mask.

In his first day of testimony yesterday, Mr. Bradford said he and Mrs. Moonda exchanged knowing looks after she pulled off the turnpike and he followed in the silver TrailBlazer, which she had helped him buy. She knew he was about to murder her husband because she had planned the crime, Mr. Bradford said.

Mr. Bradford, wearing the orange jumpsuit of a convicted felon, testified that he killed out of greed. He said Mrs. Moonda had showered him with money and gifts when they began their affair. If he murdered for her, Mr. Bradford said, she promised to split her inheritance with him.

At the time of the killing, Mr. Bradford was seeing Mrs. Moonda and was still engaged to a woman named Charlene McFrazier. He said Ms. McFrazier, feeling scorned, had telephoned Dr. Moonda and told him about the affair between his wife and Mr. Bradford.

After that, Mr. Bradford said, the doctor supposedly began talking about a divorce in which he offered to pay his wife $1 million. Prosecutors say a prenuptial agreement would have limited Mrs. Moonda to a $250,000 settlement.

Mr. Bradford knew none of this, but said he initially told Mrs. Moonda to take the million dollars and move on with her life. He said she balked.

"She said she wanted to get what was owed her, what she deserved," Mr. Bradford said.

Mr. Bradford said she told him Dr. Moonda would be worth $3 million to $6 million if they killed him.

He said their first plan was for Mr. Bradford to murder Dr. Moonda at his mosque in Youngstown, Ohio. Mr. Bradford said he talked with Mrs. Moonda on his cell phone as he waited for the doctor to emerge, but never had a chance to shoot him that day.

Later, he said, he followed Dr. Moonda back to his office in Mercer County, Pa., before going to see Mrs. Moonda at the home she shared with her husband. He said he wanted to kill Dr. Moonda at the house, but Mrs. Moonda vetoed his suggestion.

Instead, he said, she began planning the turnpike murder, when she and her mother would be traveling with Dr. Moonda from Western Pennsylvania to Toledo, Ohio.

After the killing, police closed in on Mr. Bradford, who had admitted to Ms. McFrazier that he was the killer. Still, he said, he intended to plead not guilty and go to trial until Mrs. Moonda "betrayed" him.

If he was caught, he said, Mrs. Moonda had promised to take the witness stand and say he was not the murderer. He thought this could raise reasonable doubt and get him an acquittal.

But Mrs. Moonda reneged, saying she would take the Fifth Amendment at Mr. Bradford's trial.

"I lost my star witness," Mr. Bradford said of the reason he pleaded guilty last summer and turned against her.

Mr. Bradford told his story in less than two hours. Defense lawyer Roger Synenberg then spent the last three hours of the day trying to shake it.

Mr. Synenberg scored his best points during the last few minutes of the day's testimony. He got Mr. Bradford to admit he previously had lied under oath during an early stage of the Moonda investigation.

While seeking probation in a steroids case five months after the murder, Mr. Bradford testified on his own behalf: "I have not involved myself in violent crime," he said.

Mr. Synenberg asked him if the murder of Dr. Moonda was a violent crime.

"I wouldn't say that, sir," Mr. Bradford said.

Mr. Synenberg seized on that point to describe Mr. Bradford as a liar.

Mr. Bradford, whose street name was "Kaos" -- a version of "Chaos" -- also admitted to being a drug dealer who preferred that lifestyle to a regular job.

Just before court recessed for the day, Mr. Synenberg targeted Mr. Bradford's plea agreement, which calls for him to serve 17¹/₂ years in prison. With good time, he could go free before he is 40.

Mr. Bradford will be back on the witness stand this morning. After Mr. Synenberg is finished with him, prosecutors will get a chance to try to repair any damage.

Though a good speaker and a strong presence in the courtroom, Mr. Bradford wilted at times during cross-examination.

He admitted selling drugs at the same time he supposedly was working with disadvantaged children in Beaver County, Pa.

Of the murder, Mr. Bradford said, "I thought this was not a good idea in general."

Yet, he admitted under Mr. Synenberg's questioning that he did it willingly.

Mr. Bradford also said he had planned to dump Donna Moonda once he had his share of the inheritance.

A moment later, he testified that he loved her.