Thomas Gilbert Jr. allegedly killed his father after he cut his allowance.
A shocking 911 call played during the trial of an Ivy League graduate accused of killing his wealthy father captures the immediate aftermath of the fatal shooting.
Thomas Gilbert Jr. allegedly shot his father, hedge fund manager Thomas Gilbert Sr., in January 2015 because he had cut his $1,000-a-week allowance.
Shelley Gilbert, Gilbert Jr.'s mother, discovered her husband's body after returning to their New York City home from going to get her son a sandwich and Coke, she testified Tuesday, She then phoned 911.
"He's been shot," Shelley screams at the 911 operator in the call, which was played in court.
Asked who did it, Shelley replies, "My son. He’s nuts, but I didn’t know he was this nuts."
Speaking in court Tuesday, Shelley recalled the moment she saw her husband dead on the floor. He was lying in a pool of blood, the ground around him spattered with flecks of brain matter.
“I remember calling his name and hoping he was just knocked out and not dead,” Shelley said.
Shelley is testifying against her son, but doing so only after she was subpoenaed by the prosecution. She described her son as having bipolar disorder as well as schizophrenia.
Throughout her testimony, Gilbert Jr. frequently shouted "objection," leading the judge to threaten to kick him out of the courtroom.
Prosecutors allege the murder was planned, while the suspect's defense attorney claims that Gilbert Jr. is mentally ill.
He faces up to life in prison if convicted and has pleaded not guilty.
RELATED STORIES
