76-Year-Old Woman Bludgeons Elderly Husband To Death With A Cane: Police

An elderly woman in Maryland has been arrested for allegedly shoving her husband to the ground and beating him to death using a cane.

The woman, identified as 76-year-old Gail Joy D'Anthony, who weighs 90 pounds and stands 4 feet, 10 inches, was charged with both first- and second-degree murder last week, Law&Crime reported, citing court records.

Carroll County prosecutors said that Westminster police and emergency medical services (EMS) responded to a home along the 300 block of Royer Road on March 1 after they received reports of a person in cardiac arrest.

EMS tried to revive 72-year-old John D'Anthony III, but they couldn't.

An examination later found numerous injuries on the victim's body that were inconsistent with natural death, according to officials.

"The results of the [medical examiner]'s autopsy confirmed that Mr. D'Anthony suffered extensive injuries, including blunt force injuries throughout his body, including, but not limited to, lacerations to his mouth, a broken neck, a broken right rib, two black eyes, and large contusions to his hands and forearms," authorities said.

"Ultimately, the ME found these injuries inconsistent with a single fall or otherwise natural death and ruled it a homicide," they continued.

On May 24, the Carroll County Sheriff's Office continued their investigation into John's death, and they retrieved from his home pants and boots that his wife, Gail, had been wearing on March 1, court documents revealed.

Suspected splatters of blood were found on the items, which was consistent with John dying from homicide, according to investigators.

A witness later came forward with information that authorities claimed was consistent with the elderly man's injuries.

The witness told detectives that Gail allegedly described pushing her husband to the ground, causing him to hit his head on the floor.

"She then left the room and returned with a cane, which she used to bludgeon John on the head, and then used the cane to prevent him from getting up," police alleged.

"Gail D'Anthony entered and exited the room several times, eventually finding her husband unresponsive. She then called 911 for assistance," they alleged.

Gail, who was arrested on June 21, still has no attorney of record, according to Law&Crime.

"This arrest and prosecution were the result 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," Carroll County State's Attorney Haven Shoemaker said.

"All of us in law enforcement in Carroll are committed to protecting vulnerable victims of domestic violence, no matter how young or old," he added.

No information is available yet on when Gail will appear in court.