Man Plans Battered Husband Defense In Wife's Slaying

INDIANAPOLIS -- An Indianapolis man who admitted killing his wife plans to argue that he was a victim of battered husband syndrome.

A jury trial for Ray Spradley, 44, begins Monday in Marion Superior Court, 6News' Derrik Thomas reported.

Expert witnesses in the field of domestic violence cases will square off during that trial.

Spradley fatally shot his wife, Nikki Henderson, 29, inside their apartment in 2006.

Spradley was a special deputy at the time of the shooting and worked security inside the City-County Building.

"Ray took the gun away from Nikki. Nikki took the gun away from Ray. Ray took the gun away a second time and then fired 11 times at Nikki Henderson," said Jack Crawford, Spradley's attorney.

Police reports indicated Spradley had called authorities four times to tell them he was being beaten.

Henderson was arrested once in a domestic battery case, which was referred to a diversion program.

"We believe that given the circumstances and the fact that there had been other instances of violence between the two persons committed by her -- we think the evidence will show that he took the only course of action available to him under the circumstances," Crawford said.

A certified violence counselor told 6News that he believes Spradley's claims are hogwash.

"It's always, 'Yeah … I did something I shouldn't have done, but look what they did. They are the one that made me do this,'" said Terry Moore, of Non-Violent Alternatives. "That's a way of saying, 'I don't have control over myself.'"

Spradley was held without bond in the Marion County Jail. He is expected to testify in his own defense.