A 76-year-old Westminster, Maryland resident was arrested this week on charges of murder after an autopsy uncovered that her husband, 72, had been beaten to death.
On March 1, 2023, the Westminster police and Emergency Services responded to a call placed by Gail D'Anthony, a tiny, elderly woman, who told police that her husband suffered cardiac arrest.
EMTs arrived on the scene and tried to revive the man, but it was no use.
Months later, an autopsy concluded that the victim, John D’Anthony III, 72, had numerous injuries which were inconsistent with the presumed cause of death. This led investigators to reopen the investigation.
“The results of the ME’s autopsy confirmed that Mr. D’Anthony suffered extensive injuries, including blunt force injuries throughout his body, including, but not limited to, lacerations to his mouth, a broken neck, a broken right rib, two black eyes, and large contusions to his hands and forearms,” authorities said.
“Ultimately, the ME found these injuries inconsistent with a single fall or otherwise natural death and ruled it a homicide.”
The autopsy revealed extensive injuries, including a broken neck and right rib, lacerations in his mouth, two black eyes, and a series of large bruises from his hands to his forearms, according to wbal.com.
Investigators then obtained evidence from the couple's home - including the pants and boots that Gail D’Anthony had been wearing when he died, the documents said. Blood spatter was discovered on the boots, consistent with injuries found during the autopsy.
Finally, a witness in the case came forward.
The witness claimed that Gail D’Anthony described killing her husband John. First, she allegedly pushed him to the ground, where he hit his head on the floor.
“She then left the room and returned with a cane, which she used to bludgeon John on the head, and then used the cane to prevent him from getting up,” police said. “Gail D’Anthony entered and exited the room several times, eventually finding her husband unresponsive. She then called 911 for assistance.”
D'Anthony was arrested and charged one count each of first-degree and second-degree murder in relation to the death of her husband.
“This arrest and prosecution were the result of much sweat and shoe leather on the part of folks at both the Sheriff’s and State’s Attorney’s Offices, especially Detective Ashley Owens and Assistant State’s Attorneys Amy Ocampo and Connie Yarborough,” Carroll County State’s Attorney Haven Shoemaker said. “All of us in law enforcement in Carroll are committed to protecting vulnerable victims of domestic violence, no matter how young or old.”
