>> defense attorney robert landheer seemed almost aimless as he tried to chip away at the overwhelming evidence against mindy, increasingly frustrated by the restrictions placed on his client by the court. >> i think he used the words it was an emotional jumble for them. >> objection, move to strike, irrelevant. >> thwarted at every turn from telling phil and mindy's story -- >> objection, irrelevant. >> -- he looked as if he might give up. >> it's irrelevant as to this witness. >> when the opportunity came to cross-examine the prosecution's star witness, phil, he decided the risk was just too big. >> at this time, we'd have no questions. >> but here, as the trial drew to its close, observers sensed landheer had little left to lose. he looked straight at members of the jury. he challenged them to think about why. the air grew tense in here. landheer seemed about to take his chance and raise the forbidden topic of motive.