Woman who allegedly killed terminally ill husband as part of suicide pact flashes smile while leaving courtroom as judge sets trial date

Ellen Gilland

Ellen Gilland (Law&Crime).

A 78-year-old woman pleaded no contest to killing her terminally ill husband as part of a suicide pact, court records say.

Ellen Gilland, who was slated to go on trial on Jan. 6,  entered the no contest plea to manslaughter with a firearm and three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. She appeared in court Tuesday to make the plea. As part of the deal, the state has agreed to a 10-year cap as to any prison sentence and waived a three-year mandatory minimum on one of the aggravated assault charges. Prosecutors also agreed to waive sentencing guidelines. Volusia County Judge Kathryn D. Weston will sentence Gilland Feb. 28.

As Law&Crime previously reported, Gilland was indicted on charges of assisting in self-murder, two counts of aggravated assault with a firearm, and a count of aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer with a firearm in the Jan. 21, 2023, shooting death of her husband, 77-year-old Jerry Gilland at Advent Health Hospital.

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