Florida Woman, 76, Accused of Murdering Husband Seen in Court After Allegedly Botching Murder-Suicide

The elderly Florida woman who allegedly shot her terminally ill husband in what police believe was a botched murder-suicide pact is behind bars.

Ellen Gilland, 76, arrived at Advent Hospital on Jan. 21 and entered the room of her husband, alleges the charging affidavit filed in Volusia County Court.

The affidavit goes on to state that a single gunshot was heard, prompting hospital staff to call law enforcement.

When officers arrived, they found Jerry dead and his wife holding a gun, which she allegedly pointed at two of the officers while instructing them to exit the room, according to the charging affidavit.

"Units arrived on scene to find that a female had shot her terminally ill husband and had confined herself to his room," Daytona Beach Police Chief Jakari Young said at a news conference after the incident.

"We are currently negotiating with the female to get her to surrender and come out of the hospital."

ELLEN GILLAND CHARGING AFFIDAVIT

Those negotiations would go on for four long hours before police decided to use a "flash bang device to distract Ellen and then fire bean bags from a gun to subdue her," as the charging affidavit states.

She was taken out of the hospital in a wheelchair and is now behind bars, with court records showing that she is being held without bail and facing charges of first-degree murder, as well as three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Chief Young said at the news conference that the couple had planned the shooting together.

"So initially I think the plan was a murder suicide," said the police chief. "So she killed him, and then she was going to turn the gun on herself, but decided she couldn't go through with it."

Ellen has yet to enter a plea to any of these charges and her formal arraignment has been scheduled for February 14.

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