Doctor convicted in ex-wife’s death arguing for new trial

A Utah pediatrician who was convicted of killing his ex-wife wants a judge to overturn his conviction, arguing that prosecutors wrongly inflated a weak, circumstantial case.

Lawyers for John Brickman Wall argued Monday that he should get a new trial in the 2011 death of cancer researcher Uta von Schwedler, who was found dead in her bathtub.

Prosecutors contend that Wall attacked her with a knife, dosed her with an anti-anxiety drug Xanax and drowned her. Defense attorneys say the evidence shows she killed herself.

Lawyer Fred Metos contends that a forensic expert gave inaccurate testimony on how von Schwedler could have been forced to take the anti-anxiety medication, and prosecutors overstated a discovery she’d made at work. Prosecutors say that’s not true and the conviction should stand.