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Body language expert analyzes Ft. Eustis soldier charged in wife’s murder

Posted at 1:16 AM, Aug 01, 2013
and last updated 2013-08-01 06:01:36-04

James City County, Va.- In a jailhouse interview John Mackay, a Fort Eustis Staff Sergeant, says he told his mistress, Nicole Houchin, to go through an unlocked garage door and kill his wife Dana.

"If it comes up and it's true that she did this, I'd kill her myself in a second," Mackay said about his mistress who's charged with the murder.

Was he telling the truth? NewsChannel 3 asked an expert.

Nicholas Fortunato has worked as a private investigator for 25 years and is a body language expert.

NewsChannel 3 showed him the interview, and Fortunato says he saw Mackay covering things up right from the start.

"He did a lot of blinking in the beginning his facial features like when you asked about the garage his chin kind of wrinkled up and everything so there was some thought of how do I want to answer that question," Fortunato, who's with East Coast Investigators said.

Mackay said he would occasionally talk with Houchin about their plans to kill his wife.

"Some of the gesturing and so forth would definitely indicate it was more than just a little bit, it was a lot," Fortunato said.

On the whole though, Fortunato says Mackay is telling the truth, and is remorseful.

"At the end of the day my wife is still dead," Mackay said. "I don't think I deserve to be out there anymore."

After seeing the video, Fortunato said, "That's a real emotion, that's real right there."

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Ft. Eustis staff sergeant, mistress charged in wife’s murder