Gastonia man accused of killing neighbor, shooting wife testifies in murder trial

GASTONIA, N.C. — A Gastonia man accused of killing his neighbor and shooting his wife on New Year’s Day last year began testifying in his murder trial Friday morning.

Police said Joseph Zinna got mad at his wife and shot her as she sped away from his home. He then went to home of his neighbor, Mark Sheridan and shot him through the front door, prosecutors say.

Zinna admitted he is a killer.

"Am I remorseful?” Zinna said. “Absolutely, disgusted with myself. I can't believe what happened."

He said it all went wrong that New Year's Day when his estranged wife told him she had been having a sexual relationship with their neighbor. The wife says she never said that.

"That's when it exploded," the defendant said.

He said he can't remember much of what happened next at their home in the Jefferson Woods subdivision.

"It just went to rage,” Zinna said. “It was like a switch."

He loaded his shotgun, pulled the trigger twice at her, but it misfired.

He said it was an out-of-body experience, like watching TV.

"I had no control,” Zinna said. “I had zero control. It was happening and I'm watching it happening."

He remembers firing into her car as she drove away.

When she took the stand two days ago, she still had some of the buckshot lodged in her face.

Prosecutors said Zinna took 5-6 minutes to reload the gun before going to Sheridan's house and shooting him, assuming Sheridan was the neighbor to which he said his wife had talked about.

"The trigger went off and I'm in a rage, beyond rage, again," Zinna said.

Sheridan had a female friend at his house, who Zinna didn't see.

Zinna is the only witness the defense attorney called and he hopes it’s the only testimony needed to convince jurors he is not guilty of murder.

Closing arguments and deliberations will begin Tuesday.

Zinna faces life in prison if convicted.

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