Woman Pleads Guilty in Father’s Fatal Stabbing

By Jeff Levine - May 2, 2024
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | stabbing | Suspects | Victims |

Brittany Gaylor pleaded guilty to the brutal murder of her 70-year-old father in a May 2 hearing before DC Superior Court Judge Michael O’Keefe.  

During the brief proceeding Gaylor, 32, agreed with the prosecutor’s proffer of facts about the crime during which Brittany acknowledged she repeatedly stabbed James Gaylor in the “head, neck, stomach back and kidney.”  

The victim, according to the prosecutor, also suffered from blunt force trauma in the incident that took place on Feb. 10 on the 1600 block of 6th Street, NW.  James died the following day.

Judge O’Keefe asked Gaylor if the prosecutor’s proffer was “in its entirety” true to which she replied, “Yes.”  He then asked if the defendant was voluntarily entering a guilty plea to second-degree murder and she agreed.

At that point Judge O’Keefe found Gaylor guilty and set July 12 as her sentencing date.  

Gaylor was originally charged with second-degree murder while armed and assault with intent to kill while armed for murdering her father.  

In a hearing in February, the prosecution presented body-worn camera videos of James Gaylor telling police that his daughter, while holding a knife in her hand said, “I’m going to kill you before you get the chance to kill me.”  

In another sequence after the attack the video captures James saying his daughter was the assailant. 

The fraught relationship between father and daughter was highlighted when Gaylor’s attorney, Todd Baldwin, presented a text message from Brittany in the earlier hearing saying that if she died mysteriously her father was responsible. 

Prior to sentencing, Judge O’Keefe said court officials would be evaluating Gaylor’s personal history and making recommendations about appropriate punishment based on their findings.  

She is being held without bond.