'Don't Do It Daddy!': Ex-Wife Of Veteran Says Child Begged Him Not To Shoot Her

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CORAL SPRINGS (CBSMiami) – The horrified ex-wife of a retired Air Force major who shot her in front of their 4-year-old son relived the incident in court.

Katherine Ranta heard herself on a 911 call after authorities say Thomas Maffei shot her and her father in front of the couple's child.

In court Wednesday, Katherine said the child pleaded for his father to stop.

"He said, 'don't do it daddy, don't shoot mommy,'" said Ranta.

Maffei admits he pulled off the double shooting, but it was not pre-meditated attempted murder. His attorney argues he suffered from involuntary intoxication.

"If there were any intent to murder, they would be dead. He had at least 15 minutes to murder them," said attorney Fred Haddad.

Haddad said Maffei suffered from a whole host of problems after his military service in Iraq.

"Mr. Maffei had already a confirmed diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), major depression and panic disorder," said Psychiatrist Dr. David Kramer.

On the day of the shooting, the jury heard that Maffei went to the VA clinic for severe insomnia. He was extremely anxious, depressed, and had panic attacks.

An expert on the stand said Maffei was on pain medication and was then put on more drugs.

"I have every reason to believe that he had been, in his system, a significant amount of opiate, pain medication and a new prescription for clonazepam that had been prescribed hours before," said Dr. Kramer.

The argument is it was those drugs combined that lead to the double shooting.

Closing arguments start Thursday then the case will go to the jury.

If convicted of the most serious charges, Maffei could spend the rest of his life in prison.