A psychiatric evaluation of an Oxford man charged with murdering his wife and shooting his mother-in-law in the head could be completed by next month, according to his lawyer.
Scott Gellatly, 46, appeared briefly Wednesday at Superior Court in Milford before Judge Frank Iannotti.
Gellatly has been jailed since May 7, 2014, when state cops said Gellatly shot and killed his wife, Lori Jackson, and his mother-in-law, Merry Jackson, in a Sioux Drive home about 5:45 a.m. as the couple’s twin infants slept a floor above.
Merry Jackson survived the attack.
The shooting set off a statewide manhunt, with state troopers eventually finding Gellatly trying to poison himself with carbon monoxide in the parking lot of a defunct Winsted chicken restaurant.
Gellatly pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, attempted murder, first-degree assault, home invasion, first-degree burglary, and first-degree robbery about a month after his arrest.
Last October, at Gellatly’s fifth court appearance in the case, his lawyer, David Egan, told Judge Iannotti that a psychiatric evaluation of Gellatly was underway but would probably take several months to complete.
As judicial marshals led Gellatly out of the courthouse lockup,h Merry Jackson and family members looked on from the front row of the public gallery. Egan then told the judge Wednesday that the psychiatric evaluation is almost done.
“We’re making progress,” Egan said, requesting the case be continued to April 14.
“You indicated that it was nearly completed,” Judge Iannotti replied.
“That’s the impression I get, your honor, yes,” Egan said. “The feedback I’ve had with the people that we’re working with is that the report could be done by April 14 … I can’t guarantee that, obviously.”
State’s Attorney Kevin Lawlor did not object to Egan’s request for a continuance.
“Based on what counsel’s indicating I think we’ll just have to wait and see what they provide us with and determine the next step,” the prosecutor said.
The judge then continued the case to April 14.
Gellatly remains held on $2 million bond in the murder case.
He also faces charges of third-degree assault and disorderly conduct in connection to an incident more than a month prior to the shooting during which he allegedly twisted his wife’s arm and prevented her from leaving their home.
After that incident, Lori Gellatly obtained a temporary restraining order against her husband.
A hearing on whether the restraining order would be made permanent was scheduled for the day after the shooting.
The killing prompted legislators and advocates of domestic violence victims to call for tighter restrictions on domestic violence suspects who own guns.
Gov. Dannel Malloy said he’d propose changes to state law to take guns away from people who have temporary restraining orders taken out against them.
