CARROLL COUNTY, MARYLAND: Maryland woman Gail D'Anthony, 76, has been accused of killing her 72-year-old husband John D'Anthony III with a cane.
According to WBAL-TV, a local news station in Baltimore, the accused murderer's jury trial is scheduled to start on January 8, 2024.
The accused wife appeared in the courtroom on Wednesday, September 20, but the judge learned that she was having trouble and felt unwell.
So she was transported back to the Carroll County Detention Center, where a video hearing took place.
How was Gail D'Anthony's husband's death deemed a homicide?
According to a statement from the sheriff's office, on March 1, Westminster Police and Emergency Services personnel responded to a complaint of a cardiac arrest at a residence on Royer Road in Westminster, Maryland.
They tried to save John D'Anthony III's life but eventually failed. He was declared dead on the spot, and the medical examiner's office received his body for "further investigation."
John had "suffered extensive injuries" before his death, including "lacerations to his mouth, a broken neck, a broken right rib, two black eyes," and bruises on his hands and forearms, according to the medical examiner's findings.
His death was classified as a homicide because of the injuries.
How was Gail D'Anthony identified as a suspect?
As part of their ongoing investigation, the Carroll County Sheriff's Office Major Crimes team discovered the evidence at the residence.
The shocking evidence reportedly included "suspected blood splatter" that was "consistent with the blunt force injuries" on John's body.
Detectives claim to have learned that Gail allegedly claimed to have "pushed" John to the ground, "where he hit his head on the floor," before coming back into the room with a cane and "bludgeoning" him on the head to keep him from getting up.
Then, according to police, the wife repeatedly entered and left the room before dialing 911.
According to detectives from the Carroll County Sheriff's Office, they concluded that the witness' information was "consistent" with the facts they discovered at the site and so secured a warrant for Gail's arrest.
Gail was detailed at the Carroll County Detention Center.
What are the charges against Gail D'Anthony?
The 76-year-old Maryland woman Gail D'Antony has been charged with first and second-degree murder.
"All of us in law enforcement in Carroll are committed to protecting vulnerable victims of domestic violence, no matter how young or old," Carroll County State’s Attorney Haven Shoemaker stated in June.
The Carroll County State Attorney's Office did add, though, that "Individuals who are charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law." According to WBAL-TV, the matter will have another hearing on October 17.
What is the sentence for first and second-degree murder in Maryland?
If found guilty of first-degree murder, the offender faces a felony conviction that comes with a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
A felony conviction with a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison is reserved for those who commit murder in the second degree, per Maryland-Criminallawyer website.
