Joanna Findlay's American husband shot himself, says lecturer
Further details have emerged of the events surrounding the death of a Blairgowrie woman’s American husband as prosecutors prepare to try her for murder later this year.
- By Alan Richardson
- Published in the Courier : 04.02.11
- Published online : 04.02.11 @ 08.55am
University lecturer Joanna Findlay (40) has been charged with the second degree murder of 57-year-old Gary Trogdon at their Hollywood, Maryland, home on October 30.
It is alleged she shot him in the chest with a pistol during a domestic dispute. She is awaiting a trial date after being freed on bail. She has also been accused of assault and a firearms offence.
Prosecutors have stated Mr Trodgon's autopsy report, completed last month, lists his death as homicide but Findlay’s legal team maintain he shot himself. The report states the gunshot wound was caused by a large calibre projectile fired at close range.
St Mary's state attorney Richard Fritz said the argument arose because Mr Trogden would not give his wife medication which he had in his pocket.
Infuriated
He said, “She's obviously infuriated. They get into a confrontation and he ends up getting shot.”
He said an initial shot from a .22 calibre pistol missed Mr Trogdon and he disarmed her and called police. Dispatchers returned his call but a recording of the conversation reveals he hung up, saying, “I have to make sure she doesn’t find any of the other guns.”
Mr Fritz said Findlay got hold of a .357 calibre handgun and fired it twice, missing once but striking the victim in the chest with the other attempt.
At odds
John E. Ray, Findlay’s lawyer, said the autopsy report’s findings do not tally with what Findlay says happened. He said, “That’s completely at odds with what Ms Findlay has to say... that he shot himself... the same thing she told the police.”
Mr Fritz said Mr Trogdon’s blood was on the gun from a bleeding nose he had suffered during the incident and maintained he had shown no suicidal tendencies.
The couple had had dinner in a restaurant that night and were planning a trip the next day.
“That doesn’t sound to me like a man who’s contemplating suicide,” Mr Fritz said.
Mr Ray told a previous court hearing that the initial dispute arose when Findlay found child pornography on her husband’s computer but that was not confirmed by Mr Fritz, who said analysis of the equipment was not complete.
Findlay was brought up in Blairgowrie, where she still has family. She moved to the USA on a student exchange programme around 15 years ago.
