FL - Ellen W. Gilland, 76 - Accused of Killing Hospitalized Husband, 77- Daytona Beach - 21 January 2023

[Richrd]

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New York Post:

Elderly woman killed terminally ill husband as part of botched suicide pact: cops

Ellen Gilland, 76, faces charges of first-degree premeditated murder and assault with a deadly weapon after allegedly killing her husband, 77-year-old Jerry Gilland, inside a Florida hospital.

nypost.com

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Pre-Trial Confinement at Volusia County Branch Jail:
NO Bail Permitted

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[azure]

It seems to me that an advance directive written with the help of a lawyer could have prevented this situation--could he not have just declined medical care instead of allegedly asking his wife to shoot him in the head?

 

[Petunia83]

This is so sad…

 

[PromotedPawn]

Aww come on.

 

[Snoods]

No bail? Outrageous. Let her out. She is not a danger to society, for feck’s sake. Poor lady.

 

[realanastasia]

It seems to me that an advance directive written with the help of a lawyer could have prevented this situation--could he not have just declined medical care instead of allegedly asking his wife to shoot him in the head?

From the hospital’s website ( Who We Are ):

“At AdventHealth, Extending the Healing Ministry of Christ is our mission. It calls us to be His hands and feet in helping people feel whole. Our story is one of hope — one that strives to heal and restore the body, mind and spirit.
[…]
Our Christian mission, shared vision, common values and focus on whole-person health is our commitment to making communities healthier with a unified system: nearly 50 hospital campuses and hundreds of care sites in diverse markets throughout nine states.”

I point this out to say that the hospital was explicitly Christian in orientation, and to ask this: as such an institution, particularly one located in a state which (IMO) prides itself on protecting the religious beliefs of people/institutions, would AdventHealth have been obliged to respect a patient’s advance directive if it essentially said that no lifesaving measures should be taken if the patient was nearing the end of their natural life?
What I’m wondering is—if the hospital’s spiritual and professional mission was to preserve life at all stages and all costs, wouldn’t a patient’s advance directive that, er, directed the hospital to take actions that ran counter to this “mission” just have been quietly ignored? Imagine, for instance, if a pregnant woman was admitted with an advance directive that stated that if she was unconscious and needed lifesaving surgery, and a choice had to be made to save the life of the mother or the child, she wanted the doctors to save her life. In that scenario, a hospital that was strongly anti-abortion wouldn’t be bound to respect her wishes as expressed in her advance directive, would it?

If the hospital disregarding a patient’s AD was a possibility that the deceased man’s wife imagined could come to pass, I wonder if this fear might’ve provided her with a reason to take the terrible action that she did.

 

[azure]

From the hospital’s website ( Who We Are ):

“At AdventHealth, Extending the Healing Ministry of Christ is our mission. It calls us to be His hands and feet in helping people feel whole. Our story is one of hope — one that strives to heal and restore the body, mind and spirit.
[…]
Our Christian mission, shared vision, common values and focus on whole-person health is our commitment to making communities healthier with a unified system: nearly 50 hospital campuses and hundreds of care sites in diverse markets throughout nine states.”

I point this out to say that the hospital was explicitly Christian in orientation, and to ask this: as such an institution, particularly one located in a state which (IMO) prides itself on protecting the religious beliefs of people/institutions, would AdventHealth have been obliged to respect a patient’s advance directive if it essentially said that no lifesaving measures should be taken if the patient was nearing the end of their natural life?
What I’m wondering is—if the hospital’s spiritual and professional mission was to preserve life at all stages and all costs, wouldn’t a patient’s advance directive that, er, directed the hospital to take actions that ran counter to this “mission” just have been quietly ignored? Imagine, for instance, if a pregnant woman was admitted with an advance directive that stated that if she was unconscious and needed lifesaving surgery, and a choice had to be made to save the life of the mother or the child, she wanted the doctors to save her life. In that scenario, a hospital that was strongly anti-abortion wouldn’t be bound to respect her wishes as expressed in her advance directive, would it?

If the hospital disregarding a patient’s AD was a possibility that the deceased man’s wife imagined could come to pass, I wonder if this fear might’ve provided her with a reason to take the terrible action that she did.

IM(recent)E, a religious hospital would honor an advance directive. My mother's fiancée was found unresponsive on 1/18. He was hospitalized in a coma in a religious hospital in the Midwest. He had a very well-composed advance directive and living will. On 1/21, it was determined that his chance of meaningful neurologic recovery was near-zero. He was removed from all life support on 1/22 and passed on 1/24.

The same would apply if one decided to refuse chemotherapy and pass at home, etc. It's tough to believe the only option here was shooting the husband, but maybe it felt so at the time.

 

[realanastasia]

IM(recent)E, a religious hospital would honor an advance directive. My mother's fiancée was found unresponsive on 1/18. He was hospitalized in a coma in a religious hospital in the Midwest. He had a very well-composed advance directive and living will. On 1/21, it was determined that his chance of meaningful neurologic recovery was near-zero. He was removed from all life support on 1/22 and passed on 1/24.

The same would apply if one decided to refuse chemotherapy and pass at home, etc. It's tough to believe the only option here was shooting the husband, but maybe it felt so at the time.

Thanks for sharing your experience—I am very sorry for your family’s loss!

 

[scriabina]

Was there evidence of a suicide pact or is it possible this woman just murdered her terminally ill husband? The fact that she didn't kill herself as promised is a little suspicious. I understand she may have been scared. I just would like to have confirmation that this really was an agreement made with the victim.

 

[scriabina]

Duplicate post DBM.

 

[LadyL]

I feel bad for them both. Imagine getting to the end of your life and feeling like this is the only way out.

 

[alianda.elaine]

From the hospital’s website ( Who We Are ):

“At AdventHealth, Extending the Healing Ministry of Christ is our mission. It calls us to be His hands and feet in helping people feel whole. Our story is one of hope — one that strives to heal and restore the body, mind and spirit.
[…]
Our Christian mission, shared vision, common values and focus on whole-person health is our commitment to making communities healthier with a unified system: nearly 50 hospital campuses and hundreds of care sites in diverse markets throughout nine states.”

I point this out to say that the hospital was explicitly Christian in orientation, and to ask this: as such an institution, particularly one located in a state which (IMO) prides itself on protecting the religious beliefs of people/institutions, would AdventHealth have been obliged to respect a patient’s advance directive if it essentially said that no lifesaving measures should be taken if the patient was nearing the end of their natural life?
What I’m wondering is—if the hospital’s spiritual and professional mission was to preserve life at all stages and all costs, wouldn’t a patient’s advance directive that, er, directed the hospital to take actions that ran counter to this “mission” just have been quietly ignored? Imagine, for instance, if a pregnant woman was admitted with an advance directive that stated that if she was unconscious and needed lifesaving surgery, and a choice had to be made to save the life of the mother or the child, she wanted the doctors to save her life. In that scenario, a hospital that was strongly anti-abortion wouldn’t be bound to respect her wishes as expressed in her advance directive, would it?

If the hospital disregarding a patient’s AD was a possibility that the deceased man’s wife imagined could come to pass, I wonder if this fear might’ve provided her with a reason to take the terrible action that she did.

Just because of a "mission statement" you're questioning jf the hospital would oblige a legal document? They have to. Short and simple. As a nurse there have been times where a patient has an advanced directive or DNR and they are about to pass and beg for help. Its a Grey area but at the same time very black and white. If that makes any sense lol. I agree with the fact that the wife did not kill herself and that seems sketchy. If it was some sort of pact how come she is not dead.

 

[realanastasia]

Just because of a "mission statement" you're questioning jf the hospital would oblige a legal document? They have to. Short and simple.

Doesn’t really seem short or simple to me, and at least at some religiously affiliated hospitals, they do not have to abide by them. See here the statement on honoring ADs from a different religiously affiliated hospital (Catholic, in this example):

“Saint Peter's University Hospital will honor advance directives in accordance with hospital policy, New Jersey law, the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services, and acceptable medical standards. Saint Peter's does not participate in assisted suicide or euthanasia.”

So if the AD presented at St. Peter’s Hospital (just a randomly chosen example of a religiously affiliated hospital) isn’t “in accordance” with the hospital policy, state law, medical standards, AND the “ethical and religious directives” of the Catholic Church, it won’t be honored. My specific question, relative to this case, is whether AdventHealth’s policy would be similar to this hospital’s.

Advance Directive

Saint Peter's Advance Directive gives patients the opportunity to make their wishes known in advance. Learn more!

www.saintpetershcs.com

 

[realanastasia]

Terminally-ill Florida man wasn't strong enough to shoot himself

Ellen Gilland, 76, told officers that her 77-year-old husband Jerry Gilland had been ill for some time and they had planned the shooting together, police spokeswoman Carrie McCallister said.

www.dailymail.co.uk

”
One of the investigators took the stand and said that Jerry had planned to shoot himself but wasn't able to with his strength fading. Instead, he loaded the gun and held his high school sweetheart's wrist as she fired.

The judge ultimately denied bond. While they agreed it was tragic, Gilland's actions were 'premeditated murder' and the state doesn't allow mercy killings, according to Fox 35 Orlando.

Gilland has been charged with premeditated first-degree murder and two counts of aggressive assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, and remained jailed without bond.

The Gillands' plan had been in the works for weeks: Ellen Gilland, 76, would fatally shoot her terminally ill, 77-year-old husband, Jerry, and then kill herself. But after shooting him in the head in an 11th-floor hospital room, she couldn´t carry through with the rest.

Instead, still armed, Gilland was in a four-hour standoff with police until officers were able to use a nonlethal explosive to distract and take her into custody.

That's according to the police account of the shooting and its aftermath Saturday on a floor for terminally ill patients at AdventHealth Daytona Beach near the central Florida coast.

After shooting her husband at about 11:30 a.m., she refused to come out until about 3:30 p.m. after negotiating with police, McCallister said.

Afterward, it was revealed Gilland had planned to turn the gun on herself in a murder-suicide but 'she couldn't go through with it,' said Daytona Beach Police Chief Jakari E. Young.“

 

[SeesSeas]

Elderly Florida woman accused of killing husband in suicide pact indicted on felony charges

Ellen Gilland allegedly shot her husband Jerry Gilland at around 11:30 in the morning as he lay in his hospital bed.

lawandcrime.com

The indictment charges Gilland with a first-degree felony charge of assisting in self-murder/manslaughter, two third-degree felony charges of aggravated assault with a firearm, and a second-degree felony charge of aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer with a firearm.

 

[Marysmith]

Elderly Florida woman accused of killing husband in suicide pact indicted on felony charges

Ellen Gilland allegedly shot her husband Jerry Gilland at around 11:30 in the morning as he lay in his hospital bed.

lawandcrime.com

The indictment charges Gilland with a first-degree felony charge of assisting in self-murder/manslaughter, two third-degree felony charges of aggravated assault with a firearm, and a second-degree felony charge of aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer with a firearm.

Wow… I’m comparing this to all kinds of cases I know of in Florida where justice was not given… not even close.

 

[Richrd]

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22 March Court Date:

NBC News:

Florida woman accused of killing ill husband seeks release from jail

A 76-year-old woman accused of fatally shooting her terminally ill husband in a Florida hospital is asking to be released from jail.

www.wfla.com

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[SeesSeas]

Woman who allegedly killed husband in suicide pact posts bond after indictment on lesser charge

The Florida woman who allegedly shot and killed her husband in a suicide pact posted bond days after she was indicted on a lesser charge.

lawandcrime.com

A detective testified under cross-examination at a bond hearing that Jerry was the person who loaded the gun and Ellen held the gun to her husband’s head while he held her wrist, the detective said. The husband lacked the dexterity to carry it out himself, the investigator testified.
[...]
A psychiatrist for the defense testified that he did not believe Ellen was a serious danger to herself or others.

 

[Marysmith]

Woman who allegedly killed husband in suicide pact posts bond after indictment on lesser charge

The Florida woman who allegedly shot and killed her husband in a suicide pact posted bond days after she was indicted on a lesser charge.

lawandcrime.com

A detective testified under cross-examination at a bond hearing that Jerry was the person who loaded the gun and Ellen held the gun to her husband’s head while he held her wrist, the detective said. The husband lacked the dexterity to carry it out himself, the investigator testified.
[...]
A psychiatrist for the defense testified that he did not believe Ellen was a serious danger to herself or others.

I cannot believe she cannot get bail while people that seem quite dangerous to others get it with no issue. In Florida.