On December 3, 2012, the media was drawn to a murder trial that took place in Panama City, FL, in which a woman, Judy Gsell, was accused of killing her husband and then freezing his body. The gruesome details in the case led to increased attention by various media outlets.
Judy Gsell was charged with first degree murder and robbery in the second degree. The case allegedly revolved around drugs and money. It is believed that Ms. Gsell and an accomplice, Dawn Ross, strangled the 80 year old man when he refused to give them money; money they subsequently used to buy drugs.
Ross filed a plea of "no contest" as part of her agreement with state prosecutors to testify against Gsell in the murder case. For her cooperation, the prosecutors arranged for her sentence to be 40 years in prison. To make the case more complex, Gsell claims that her husband was murdered by Ross and that she is only guilty of failing to report the crime, not in participating in it. Gsell faced charges of First Degree Murder and life in prison if convicted of the murder.
There is little doubt that murder is the most serious of all criminal charges. The actual facts in any case can appear to be clear, but during the trial other facts come out that impact the final verdict. It is important that every person accused of a crime has an attorney that is willing to protect them and is personally committed to the case. This can be the pivotal factor in whether a person spends life in prison or is found not guilty.
Get help from our Panama City criminal lawyer from Shepard Law if you are facing criminal charges and need an aggressive defender fighting for you. As a former prosecutor, Mr. Shepard has great insight into how to defend against all types of criminal accusations.