Ellen Gilland Florida woman shoots terminally ill husband at Daytona Beach hospital in failed suicide pact. Is charged with first degree murder.
A 76-year-old Florida woman has been charged with first degree murder in the shooting death of her terminally ill husband at a Daytona Beach hospital – the result of a murder suicide pact.
Ellen Gilland fatally shot Jerry Gilland, 77, in his hospital room Saturday morning, then barricaded herself inside. Daytona Beach police Chief Jakari Young said the New Smyrna Beach couple made the pact about three weeks ago when Jerry Gilland told his wife he was dying.
The standoff between the elderly woman and police lasted for about four hours after Ellen was unable to go through with the suicide portion of the agreement, the chief said.
‘Apparently, because he was terminally ill, they had a conversation about it, and they actually planned this approximately three weeks ago that if he continued to take a turn for the worst that he wanted her to end this,’ Young said. ‘Obviously, we’re unsure how she brought that gun into the hospital, but this was planned.’
Police say the plan had been for the husband to do the shooting, but he was too weak.
‘He didn’t have the strength’
‘The goal was for him to do it, but he did not have the strength, so she had to carry it out for him,’ Young added. ‘We were able to establish a dialogue with her, we used a distractionary device to get her to put that gun down long enough for us to hit her with less lethal (force) and get her into custody.’
The distractionary device was a flash bang, Young said, and the less lethal force was a bean bag round, according to WESH.
The Gillands were the only people in the room at the time, and no one else was hurt.
‘At no time were any of the hospital staff threatened or any other patients,’ Young said.
Following a Sunday court appearance, Ellen Gilland was charged with first degree murder and three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, ClickOrlando reported. She was appointed a public defender. The wife was ordered held without bond.
