One of the ex-husband's of a woman on trial for the murder of her daughter-in-law in a Snellville shopping center parking lot testified Tuesday she pulled a gun on him when the two were going through a divorce nearly 20 years earlier.

Steven Strube Sr. told jurors Joanna Hayes pointed a .38 caliber handgun at his head, above his eyes.

"We were in the middle of an argument and she wanted me to leave at the time... and I hadn't gotten any of my stuff out of the cabin yet," he said. "The argument escalated into the pulling (out) of the handgun," testified Strube.

The gun was a .38 caliber Lady Rossi 5 shot that belonged to Strube's father.  Strube testified Hayes would carry it either in her purse or in her belt because she traveled a good distance from work each day and wanted it for protection.

In earlier arguments before the judge as to whether or not to allow jurors to hear the testimony, assistant district attorney Dan Mayfield says the incident was strikingly similar to the murder of Heather Strube.

"The nature of the assault was identical to the assault in the murder and this same weapon was placed to the head of the victim," said Mayfield.

But defense attorney Bruce Morriss pressed Strube as to why he didn't report the assault at the time.

"She held a gun to your head, so you must have immediately called the police," asked Morriss.  "No sir," replied Strube.

Morriss went on to ask Strube about his marriage three years ago to Hayes' sister.

"Your relationship with Joanna Hayes is challenged," Morris asked of Strube. "That would be one way to put it," he answered.

But Strube says his relationship with his current wife didn't begin until years later and was not the reason for his divorce with Hayes.

Following Strube's testimony, jurors heard from the Gwinnett County chief medical examiner who testified the victim died of a gunshot wound to the middle of her forehead at close range.  She determined a .38 caliber handgun was used.