The Sleepwalker Murder Trial

By all accounts, it seemed Scott and Yarmila Falater had the perfect marriage: A nice house, two kids, and 20 solid years together. However, it would all come crashing down one fateful night in January of 1997.

Officers arrived to the Falater home in Phoenix, Arizona after receiving a 911 call from a neighbor and discovered Yarmila's lifeless body floating in the pool with numerous stab wounds. Upon searching the house, they found a bloody knife and clothing stowed away the trunk of Scott's car. Scott was brought in for questioning and despite being grilled by detectives, he seemingly had no memory of what had happened. He was ultimately arrested and charged with first degree murder.

The Defense's Dilemma

Defense Attorney Mike Kimerer was in a tough spot. Scott wasn't interested in a plea deal and self-defense wasn't the best idea either, seeing as how Yarmila had been stabbed over 40 times. Desperate for anything to build a case, especially since his client was facing a potential death sentence, Kimerer talked to Scott's family. From there, Kimerer learned that Scott had a history of sleepwalking with Scott's sister recounting that he once threw her across the room during one of these episodes. Although most people grow out of sleepwalking once they reach adulthood, numerous tests revealed that Scott was still afflicted. Kimerer finally found what he was looking for.

The Prosecution's Case

The prosecution, led by the fiery Juan Martinez, dramatically went through all of the injuries that Yarmila sustained. Martinez left no stone unturned in detailing the sadistic nature of this attack. A key witness in the State's case was Greg Koons, the neighbor who witnessed Scott dumping his wife into the pool. When it came to motive, Martinez floated numerous possibilities such as infidelity, Yarmila distancing herself from their church, and Scott allegedly being upset over Yarmila gaining weight.

The prosecution also called sleep experts to the stand who testified that Falater's actions that night were not consistent with someone who was sleepwalking. One point they emphasized was the murder weapon and Falater's bloody clothes and knife were found stashed in the trunk of his car. This level of concealment, the experts claimed, simply could not have happened while he was sleepwalking and it showed consciousness of guilt.

The Defense's Case

The defense presented an alternate theory of the crime. They argued that Scott had been trying to fix the pool pump but gave up and went to bed. While his wife dozed off on the couch downstairs, Scott came up with an idea to fix it. While sleepwalking, he grabbed a knife and made his way to the back door. When Yarmila awoke and touched his shoulder, he fatally stabbed her and ultimately dumped her in the pool.

The defense rejected the prosecution's alleged motives and argued that there was no sensible reason for Scott to have murdered his wife. There must be another scenario, one where Scott was not in control of his actions. To further emphasize that this was an isolated incident, Scott's children took the stand and testified that they had never noticed any conflicts or tension between their parents.

The defense relied on two experts who specialized in sleepwalking disorders in an attempt to counter the prosecution's experts. These experts testified that sleepwalkers can become violent during periods of intense stress, which in this case was brought on by Scott's job as an engineer.

Scott Falater himself also took the stand, where he adamantly denied that he would ever knowingly hurt his wife. He also denied the various theories that the prosecution floated regarding motive, insisting to the jury that she meant everything to him. Under cross-examination, Falater still could not account for his actions that night. He was simply at a loss for what had happened.

Verdict & Epilogue

After a few hours of deliberating, the jury reached a verdict. Scott Falater was found guilty of first degree murder. The prosecution pushed for the death penalty at sentencing, but the judge ultimately sentenced him to life in prison without parole largely due to Scott's two children testifying that they wanted his life to be spared. Falater is currently incarcerated in the Yuma Prison Complex in San Luis, Arizona.