In the quiet town of Oxford, Connecticut, the life of Lori Jackson Gellatly, a 32-year-old White/Caucasian woman, came to a tragic and violent end on the morning of May 7, 2014. Lori, a mother to 18-month-old twins, had recently separated from her husband, Scott Gellatly, and sought refuge at her parents' home on Sioux Drive. Fearing for her safety, she had obtained a temporary restraining order against her estranged husband, whom she described in court documents as mentally ill and violent.
A court hearing to extend that order was scheduled for the very next day.
Before dawn, at approximately 5:30 a.m., the fragile peace of the home was shattered when Scott Gellatly forced his way inside. An argument ensued, and Scott produced a handgun, unleashing a barrage of bullets. He shot his estranged wife multiple times and also turned the weapon on his mother-in-law, Merry Jackson, who was present in the home. The couple's twin toddlers were asleep upstairs, unharmed by the violence that unfolded below. Lori Gellatly was rushed to the hospital but was pronounced dead from four gunshot wounds. In a final act of love, Lori’s last words were, "Please don't kill mommy," as she threw herself over her mother, taking the final bullets and saving her life. Merry Jackson was critically injured, shot four times and losing an eye, but she survived the attack.
Following the horrific events, Scott Gellatly fled the scene, prompting a multi-town manhunt. Hours later, he was discovered in a parking lot in Winsted, attempting to take his own life by running a hose from his car's exhaust into the vehicle. State Police intervened and took him into custody before he could succeed. Scott Gellatly was arrested and charged with murder and attempted murder. He eventually pleaded guilty to the charges and, in November 2015, was sentenced to 45 years in prison without the possibility of parole. His time in prison was cut short, however, as he died in December 2018 while incarcerated.
