Elderly Maryland Woman Accused of Murdering Husband with Cane

Police have arrested a 76-year-old woman suspected of violently beating her 72-year-old husband to death using her cane.

Gail D’Anthony, a resident of Westminster, Maryland, is facing charges of first- and second-degree murder in connection with the brutal killing of her husband, with whom she was married for nearly 40 years.

On March 1, emergency responders arrived at the D’Anthony residence following a report of a cardiac arrest. Upon arrival, they discovered an unresponsive John D’Anthony III, according to the Carroll County State’s Attorney's Office.

Subsequent autopsy reports from the medical examiner's office showed signs of multiple blunt-force injuries on the deceased. These included broken ribs, blackened eyes, and cuts on his hands and arms. The injuries were ruled inconsistent with those resulting from a single fall or natural death, leading authorities to classify the case as a homicide.

The investigation continued into May, and additional evidence emerged from the D’Anthony residence, including blood splatter. According to the state's attorney office, a witness told detectives that Gail D’Anthony confessed to killing her husband by pushing him to the ground, causing him to hit his head.

Reportedly, Gail D’Anthony told the witness that she used her cane to repeatedly hit her husband in the head, preventing him from escaping the assault. After he became unresponsive, she called 911 for assistance.

Gail D’Anthony was arrested on June 21 and subsequently charged with first- and second-degree murder. In his obituary, her husband was described as "the love of her life and her best friend."

The state's attorney, Haven Shoemaker, commended the diligence of the investigation, stating, "This arrest and prosecution were the results 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. All of us in law enforcement in Carroll are committed to protecting vulnerable victims of domestic violence, no matter their age."