Elderly Woman Expresses No Regret After Killing Terminally Ill Husband in Hospital
An elderly woman who fatally shot her terminally ill husband in a failed murder-suicide attempt has stated she harbours no regrets, following her release after serving a one-year prison sentence. Ellen Gilland, 79, was convicted for the death of her husband of 53 years, Jerry, in a shocking incident that unfolded at Advent Health Daytona Beach hospital in January 2023.
A Planned Act and a Hospital in Panic
Gilland detailed that she and her husband, who was suffering from dementia and depression, had conspired to end their lives together on their own terms. She described retrieving his pistol, testing it at a gun shop, and then smuggling it into the hospital. After spending some time together, she fired a single shot into Jerry's head, killing him instantly.
The gunshot triggered immediate panic, sending the hospital into lockdown and initiating a tense standoff that lasted for hours. During this period, Gilland also pointed the firearm at hospital staff, including nurse Hector Aponte, who was the first to enter the room and witnessed the scene. Staff testified that the sound was initially mistaken for someone falling, but the situation quickly escalated.
A Failed Suicide and a Dramatic Arrest
Following her husband's death, Gilland said she became hysterical and was unable to follow through with the plan to take her own life. The standoff was only resolved when law enforcement officers deployed a flashbang into the hospital room and apprehended her in handcuffs.
Due to the floor housing terminally ill patients, many on ventilators, a full evacuation was impossible. Nurses and patients were forced to shelter in place throughout the prolonged incident.
Legal Consequences and Personal Reflections
Gilland later entered a no-contest plea to charges of manslaughter, aggravated assault with a firearm, and aggravated assault on law enforcement. She was sentenced to one year in prison, followed by 12 years of probation upon her release in November. As part of her probation, she is required to perform monthly community service for as long as she is physically able.
In her first public remarks since being freed, Gilland told Fox35, 'There wasn't anything else to do.' She expressed that she did not want to witness her husband's health deteriorate further, recalling, 'He was very supportive, very quiet, very generous. He was a lovely person.' The couple had known each other since middle school.
While she wishes the incident had unfolded differently, she stands by her decision, stating, 'I knew how difficult it would be without him.' Gilland insists she is not a violent person, noting, 'In the 76 years before this event happened, I had never been in trouble before in my life, and never planned to hurt anyone ever.'
Now facing her probation, she says, 'I’m accepting the consequences. I have to figure out how to survive after this.' She added that she tries to avoid reliving that day as much as possible.
