Lawyer: Guy Attacked With Sledgehammer Over $1.5M

With two psychiatrists, a $1.5 million life insurance policy, and a sledgehammer, an attempted murder case in Manhattan has all the elements of a 20/20 episode—at least according to the victim's lawyer. Michael Weiss had conveniently just changed his life insurance policy to benefit fellow shrink Pamela Buchbinder, with whom he has a child, when Buchbinder's cousin Jake Nolan allegedly attacked Weiss at his office last November—first with a sledgehammer, then with a knife, stabbing him eight times in the chest and back, Weiss' lawyer told the New York Post.

"The ink was still wet," he said of the attack, four days after the papers were signed. "It’s like a 20/20 episode. It sure looks like his son's mother put Jake up to this for the insurance money." Weiss was able to escape—he crawled into the hallway to scream for help—but the DA is now investigating the link, including whether Buchbinder was with Nolan when he bought the sledgehammer at a Home Depot, the Post reports. "The circumstances are suspicious, and we’re looking into it," the source said, as Nolan awaits trial for attempted murder and criminal possession of a weapon. (More attempted murder stories.)