35-year-old Thomas Gilbert Jr. was found guilty of second-degree murder and gun charges due to killing his father after he cut his $1,000 allowance, according to the New York Times.
What We Know:
- Gilbert had a Princeton economics degree but he never had consistent employment. His father hoped Gilbert would continue down his path becoming a Wall Street financier. Prosecutors testified that Gilbert was uninterested and entitled.
- Five years ago, Gilbert arrived unannounced to his parent’s apartment where he killed his 70-year-old dad. His mother states that her son did this because he was mentally ill and could not comprehend that it was wrong to kill his dad.
- The parents paid for Gilbert’s $2,400 monthly rent and also gave him a $600 allowance weeks before the murder.
- Craig Ortner, the lead prosecutor, stated how Gilbert is a sociopath who wanted to murder his family in cold blood. “He wanted his father dead and so he devised a plan to murder him.”
- It was revealed that he researched murder online and purchased the gun through the internet as well. Seven months prior to the murder, Gilbert drive to Ohio to buy the the gun he found through Facebook.
- When Gilbert was asked to speak, he referred to himself as “the defendant”. He also, for 10 minutes, talked about how unhappy he was with his lawyer and more unrelated topics. He also randomly shouted “objection” during the trial.
- Gilbert appeared stoic when receiving his sentence. Those that know him say he was unrecognizable with his beard and pale skin.
Gilbert was sentenced to life in prison with possible parole after 30 years. His mother pleaded with the prosecutor to send her son to a psychiatric facility but they refused.
