Man Accused In Daughter-In-Law's Death; Son Takes Stand

Prosecutors say Chiman Rai hired a hit man to kill his daughter-in-law because of her race. Tuesday morning, Sparkle Rai’s husband backed off on statements he made to police about his parents, in particular, calling them racists.

Rajeeve Rai said he never told his parents he moved to Atlanta with his fiancée Sparkle Reid when she was pregnant. He said he never told them they got married and never told them they had a baby. He said he didn’t tell them any of that until after he found her in a pool of blood in their apartment in April 2000.

Sparkle Rai was found just steps away from her 7-month-old daughter, who was unharmed.

“We were brought up that we should marry Indian, same race,” said Rajeeve Rai on the stand Tuesday.

That was the heart of the state’s case -- that Chiman Rai had his son’s African-American wife, Sparkle, murdered because she was not Indian.

Prosecutor Sheila Ross read statements made to investigators by Rajeeve Rai, the defendant’s son and victim’s husband.

“My parents are not exactly, you know, model citizens,” Sheila Ross read from a transcript of Rajeeve Rai’s statements. “They’re a little racist to be honest with you.”

When Rajeeve Rai was asked in court if he remembered saying that he answered, “I do.”

When Sparkle Rai was pregnant, she and Rajeeve moved from Louisville to Atlanta to be closer to her family. Rajeeve Rai said he kept that a secret. “I didn’t tell anybody,” he said Tuesday.

Now Rajeeve Rai’s father is charged with hiring a hit man to kill Sparkle and Rajeeve Rai is backing off on those statements he made to police.

Sparkle Michelle Rai IM Sparkle Michelle Rai

Ross asked Rajeeve Rai, “So when you told the detective your parents were not thrilled with you dating Sparkle and that she was pregnant, that was a lie?”

Rajeeve Rai answered, “That was a lie.”

Rajeeve Rai has since remarried and his second wife is Indian. Sparkle's Rai's parents are raising their daughter who is now 8-years-old.

Previous Stories: June 16, 2008: Man Accused In Death Of Son's Wife