Children to Take Stand in Case of Their Mother's Fatal Stabbing by Their Father

The children whose mother was fatally stabbing by their father in Chesterfield Township are expected to testify in Leonart Nazarko's first-degree murder trial in upcoming days, defense lawyer Carl Marlinga said Wednesday.

The boys, in their teens, who have since been adopted by a Michigan family, are expected to be two of several people called to the stand in Macomb County Circuit Court in Mount Clemens.

"I don't want to put them through this because it's not really fair to them," Marlinga, former Macomb County Prosecutor, said.

However, the prosecution is calling them as witnesses in the Dec. 5, 2009 stabbing of their 41-year-old mother Andoneta Nazarko at the 50000 block of Dove Lane in Chesterfield, he said.

Jury selection for the case began Wednesday. The selection process is expected to be complete and six witnesses are slated to be called to the stand Thursday. After that, the trial will likely resume next Wednesday with testimony from Macomb County Medical Examiner Dr. Daniel Spitz.

Macomb County Prosecutor's Office Chief Trial Attorney Therese Tobin is overseeing the case before Judge Matthew Switalski that intends to prove Leonart Nazarko's brutal attack was premeditated. Meanwhile, Marlinga is not denying his client's actions; rather, he will argue the defendant's state of mind falls under a second-degree murder or manslaughter charge if convicted. Psychological evaluation deemed him competent to stand trial.

Since the 43-year-old defendant and victim hailed from Albania, other family members are not expected at the trial, Marlinga said. Shortly after his arrest, Leonart Nazarko was housed in jail in lieu of a $1-million bond and contact with his children was prohibited, court records show.

Following their mother's death, many community members rallied around the boys to donate gifts to them at Christmastime.