Waseem Daker had 'How-to' Murder Books, Say Prosecutors

Sept. 25, 2012— -- Prosecutors in the Waseem Daker murder trial showed jurors that when he was arrested in 2009, they found rope, handcuffs and how-to manuals about getting away with murder in his possession.

In court Monday, jurors were presented with 12-year-old emails that prosecutors say prove Daker obtained disturbing materials before allegedly killing Karmen Smith in 1995 and stabbing her then 5-year-old son, Nick Smith, 18 times. The "how-to" titles were "How to get Away with Murder" and "Kill Without Joy."

Daker is accused of strangling flight attendant Karmen Smith as an act of revenge against her roommate, Loretta Spencer Blatz, who helped send him to prison for harassing her. Just before going to serve a 10-year prison sentence for stalking Blatz, prosecutors say Daker allegedly killed Smith.

Daker is acting as his own attorney in the Marietta, Ga., courtroom, which has made for some awkward questioning when Blatz and Nick Smith took the stand. Judge Mary Staley has nearly lost her cool a few times in this case, clearly annoyed with Daker's courtroom antics.

"There are numerous occasions during the trial that your veracity has been in strong question by me. Strong!" said Staley. She added, "And you don't try cases by ambush."

Daker had long been a suspect in Karmen Smith's murder, but it wasn't until 2009 that, according to authorities, tests showed hairs found on Smith's body matched Daker's DNA.

Daker and prosecutors are fighting over those very DNA tests from the scene of the crime that police say cracked the case and led to his arrest.

Daker questioned homicide detective John Dawes Monday, and asked why police did not submit every piece of evidence for DNA testing.

Dawes explained that once they had Daker's DNA linking him to the crime scene there was no need for more tests.

"Which is more expensive? Doing a DNA test or sending an innocent man to prison?" asked Daker, which drew prosecutors into a frenzy, demanding an objection from the judge.

Last Tuesday, Nick Smith, now 22, took the stand on what would have been his mother's birthday.

"From what I could tell it was a man, but it was really dark and I just assumed that it was someone that I knew... The person in the room grabbed me and started stabbing me a bunch and I tried to yell and he covered my mouth and then he kept stabbing me," Smith said.

Smith said he remembered a gloved hand over his mouth. He said his assailant was also wearing a black mask that covered his face. He said because of the mask he wasn't able to get a good look at his attacker.

On Sept. 14, Blatz took the stand and was clearly rattled having to be grilled by the man imprisoned for stalking her relentlessly and accused of murdering her roommate.

After several hours of questioning, Blatz fought back against Daker when he asked the judge to label her testimony during his questioning as "inappropriate."

"Well, you know, it's really inappropriate that you stalk me and harass me, and you're sitting here asking me questions, and I have to come back with you and answer your questions, that's hard for me," she said, breaking down and sobbing.

"I didn't realize this was going to turn into murder. My God, I mean, if I would have known I would have taken notes," she told the court.

Daker could start arguing his innocence as soon as this afternoon and he could testify while acting as his own lawyer.

ABC News' Erin McLaughlin contributed to this report.