North Carolina
Former North Carolina doctor, who’s dying and serving life for murder, may soon be released from a Virginia prison
RICHMOND (AP) — On paper, Vince Gilmer was granted freedom more than two years ago. Later this week, he may actually leave prison.
The former small-town North Carolina doctor and convicted murderer whose medical mystery captured widespread attention after being documented in a popular radio program and a book, was conditionally pardoned in January 2022. But because of the strict terms attached to the pardon and what his advocates describe as delay or indifference from government officials and health care institutions, he’s remained behind bars in a southwest Virginia prison as his health deteriorated.
Gilmer, 61, has Huntington’s disease, a rare, devastating and incurable disorder that attacks the brain and affects patients’ cognition and physical abilities. His diagnosis — unraveled after his conviction by the physician who took over his practice and oddly enough shares his last name — was the basis of the pardon, which was granted after many years of advocacy.
Vince Gilmer admitted to killing his father, whom he accused at trial of committing horrific acts of sexual abuse against him as a child, and he received a life sentence. Though no one claims Gilmer is innocent, his supporters argue that the outcome of his 2005 trial, where he insisted on representing himself and jurors rejected his insanity defense, would likely have been different if he had been properly diagnosed at the time. They argued that mercy, in the form of admission to a treatment center, was the more appropriate outcome.
With the help of a North Carolina lawmaker, Gilmer’s medical practice successor and now advocate and legal guardian, Dr. Benjamin Gilmer, has found a hospital willing to accept Vince Gilmer as a long-term patient, in line with the pardon terms. He received confirmation from Virginia officials that Vince Gilmer will be released Thursday, he said in an interview.
“It’s such a beautiful moment. But at the same time, we’re all stressed and anxious because, you know, you never know what could happen in between … the door to the prison,” Benjamin Gilmer said.
The Virginia Department of Corrections did not directly address a question about when Gilmer would be released but confirmed in a written statement that it was working through “logistics” to establish a release date “as soon as possible.”
Benjamin Gilmer, who granted a series of interviews to discuss the case, recently visited the Marion Correctional Treatment Center where Vince Gilmer is in custody, to share the news. The two men are not related.
“He had a moment of joy and expressed that as best he could. But it was a little anti-climactic in a way because he’s in such bad shape,” Benjamin Gilmer said.
Vince Gilmer is in the “terminal phases” of his illness, confined to a wheelchair and fairly close to being bedbound, struggling to eat, losing his cognitive abilities and at high risk for aspiration pneumonia, Benjamin Gilmer said.
The hospital setting will provide more robust treatment and allow Vince Gilmer to “experience a little bit of life and dignity,” including more regular visits from his mother, said Benjamin Gilmer, who has arranged secure transportation for the transfer.
“I’m praying I can get there and just hold him again,” said Vince Gilmer’s 80-year-old mother, Gloria Hitt.
Benjamin Gilmer wrote in his book, “The Other Dr. Gilmer,” that he became fascinated with Vince Gilmer’s case after he joined the family medicine clinic just outside of Asheville, where Vince Gilmer used to work. Patients and former colleagues described Vince Gilmer as a beloved community member and dedicated clinician who made house calls, remembered birthdays and cared for patients regardless of their ability to pay.
Benjamin Gilmer eventually wrote to Vince Gilmer and began the effort to try to square his reputation with the horrific crime for which he’d been convicted. His quest was documented by journalist Sarah Koenig, later the host of the wildly popular podcast “Serial,” on an episode of “This American Life” titled “Dr. Gilmer and Mr. Hyde.”
Vince Gilmer’s father, Dalton Gilmer, was found dead in southwest Virginia near the North Carolina border in 2004, shortly after Vince Gilmer checked him out of a psychiatric hospital. He had been strangled and his fingers were severed. Vince Gilmer claimed at trial that his father made a sexual advance toward him and he snapped at a time when he was also hearing voices, the Richmond Times-Dispatch previously reported, citing trial transcripts.
Two prosecutors involved in the trial could not be reached for comment. The judge who presided over it said through a spokeswoman at the firm where he now works that he is unable to comment on prior cases.
Benjamin Gilmer’s sleuthing eventually led to a Huntington’s diagnosis confirmed by lab work. He began to connect with lawyers and other advocates who would assemble a strategy to free Vince Gilmer from prison by pursuing a clemency petition.
Former Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a Democrat, denied the request. Then Gov. Ralph Northam, his Democratic successor, did too. But Northam, a physician, reconsidered and issued a conditional pardon on one of his final days in office. The terms said Vince Gilmer had to be accepted to a medical or psychiatric facility, remain on probation and parole as directed by the Virginia Parole Board and provide his own “secure” transportation.
Efforts got underway to find Vince Gilmer a placement. Benjamin Gilmer wrote that he unsuccessfully petitioned every Virginia public mental health hospital, as well as appropriate public mental health facilities in North Carolina, “but they required that Vince first be in a Virginia hospital for a state-to-state transfer. Vince was stuck in a bizarre no-man’s-land,” he wrote.
“Nobody cares that they have a man dying in their prison,” Benjamin Gilmer said in an interview before he’d received confirmation of a release date, adding that many private facilities were also reluctant to take in a convicted murderer.
Efforts by North Carolina state Sen. Julie Mayfield led to a breakthrough. Mayfield said in an interview she found a western North Carolina hospital that by mid-2023 had agreed to take Vince Gilmer.
If all goes according to plan, a welcome brigade along with a film crew working on a documentary about Vince Gilmer’s story plans to meet him Thursday in Marion, with a special meal in hand: a Coke, Twinkies and a Whopper.
Benjamin Gilmer said his advocacy for Vince Gilmer, which has now stretched over a decade, has convinced him that the United States incarcerates far too many mentally ill individuals in a way that’s “not compatible with ethics or humanity or the Hippocratic oath.”
“We haven’t had any trust in the Virginia carceral system over the years,” he said. “We’re not going to celebrate until Thursday.”
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — Tropical Storm Debby weakened most of the day Monday, but it also slowed down and that will mean days of heavy rain for North Carolina before the center reaches us Friday. Those days of heavy rain means the threat of flooding later this week.
The latest information late Monday night from the National Hurricane Center had Debby as a weakening tropical storm with 45 mph winds and only moving northeast at 7 m.p.h.
State of Emergency declared in North Carolina ahead of Tropical Storm Debby
Debby made landfall in the Big Bend region of Florida as a Category 1 Hurricane with winds of 80 mph Monday morning.
Heavy rain from Debby is ongoing across Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. There have also been a few tornado warnings along with gusty winds. Debby is expected to slow down even more over the next day or two.
Rain bands from Debby could reach southeastern North Carolina Tuesday, but heavy flooding rain would begin later in the day Wednesday and could last through Friday, especially in coastal North Carolina.
Tropical Storm Debby slowly moving towards the Carolinas
It is looking likely that Debby will move back over the waters of the Atlantic off the coast of South Carolina Tuesday into Wednesday, before making a possible second landfall on the northern coast of South Carolina. The time over the water could allow for the storm to gradually strengthen into a strong tropical storm Thursday. There will be minor adjustments to the forecast path and the strength of Debby, but those small changes will not have a large impact on the final forecast for central North Carolina.
Debby will be a much weaker system when it arrives in Central North Carolina, but multiple days of heavy rainfall will likely result in widespread 2-8 inch totals, with locally higher amounts. The higher rain totals will be in the Sandhills with lower amounts near the Virginia border.
Soils are already saturated across much of the region, so flooding issues are likely, especially in the Sandhills.
North Carolina crews clear storm drains, ready equipment ahead of storm
Gusty winds could also bring down some trees and powerlines, but those problems are not expected until Friday and at that time, power outages could become an issue in isolated amounts. Forecast wind gusts Friday are expected to be 30-40 m.p.h. with a very low tornado threat.
In addition to the rain issues, tropical storm conditions are possible along the coast of North Carolina. A Tropical Storm Watch has been issued for a part of the North Carolina coastline from around Surf City down toward the South Carolina border. A Tropical Storm Watch means tropical storm conditions of sustained winds of 39 to 73 m.p.h. are possible within this area in the next 48 hours. A Storm Surge Watch has also been issued for the southern coast of North Carolina as 2 to 4 feet of surge is possible.
For residents in Central North Carolina, a good hurricane preparedness plan includes having an emergency kit ready. This kit could contain non-perishable food, water, medications, flashlights, batteries, and important documents. It’s also wise to have cash on hand, as power outages can make electronic transactions difficult.
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A national effort by former Republican Party politicians and activists to back the presidential campaign of Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris kicked off in North Carolina Monday.
Led by a politically conservative U.S. Army veteran, a former Republican justice on the North Carolina Supreme Court and a former local GOP activist from Charlotte, the state chapter of “Republicans for Harris” launched with speeches and a press conference.
They all said they disagree with many of the policies Harris backs. But they’re nevertheless endorsing her for president and working to convince fellow Republicans to listen to their arguments — namely, that former President Donald Trump and his Make America Great Again movement don’t represent the conservative values of the Republican Party they believe in.
“Donald Trump does not stand for our beliefs,” said Michael Tucker, a former board member of the Mecklenburg County GOP. “He does not stand for anything but himself.”
The North Carolina Republican Party didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on the new group and its efforts to mobilize the anti-Trump wing of the party. Neither did the Trump campaign.
The Harris campaign helped organize the new group and said it’s happy to welcome the support.
“There’s a home in our campaign for Republican voters who care deeply about the future of our democracy, standing strong with our allies against foreign adversaries, and working across the aisle to get things done for the American people,” her campaign wrote in a statement.
Scott Peoples, a Raleigh resident who served in the 82nd Airborne Division at what’s now Fort Liberty, said Monday that he spent years voting for Republicans. But he can’t support Trump over his history of mocking soldiers who were killed in action or taken prisoner, he said, adding that he also opposes the isolationist foreign policy stances backed by Trump and other MAGA Republicans.
And even though he acknowledged Harris had a liberal voting record while serving in the U.S. Senate, Peoples said he also gives her credit for helping Biden pass the PACT Act in 2022. That massive overhaul of veterans’ health benefits expanded medical coverage for ailments tied to burn pits as well as the toxic water that existed for years at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, a large U.S Marine Corps base.
“They have a proven record that I think even right-leaning veterans can acknowledge,” Peoples said.
Similar sentiments were common throughout Monday’s call: Even if Harris isn’t their ideal candidate, they said, she at least has some issues they can get behind. And, more importantly, she doesn’t strike them as an existential threat to America like they believe Trump to be.
“Donald Trump’s attacks on our institutions and democracy will be much more severe under a second term,” said former North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Bob Orr. A longtime Republican politician, Orr publicly quit the GOP after the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on Congress by Trump supporters.
Orr and the others hope there are enough never-Trump Republicans like them to help swing North Carolina toward Harris.
In 2020, Trump won North Carolina by just 75,000 votes over Biden. In this year’s primary elections, more than 250,000 North Carolina voters backed former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley against Trump.
And while Trump is still favored to win North Carolina, polls show the race has become more competitive since Harris took over the campaign for Biden. A variety of public polls showed Trump leading Biden by 4% or more in North Carolina. This past week a Morning Consult poll showed Trump leading Harris by 1% of the vote.
This past week kicked off NC State’s 2024 Fall Football Camp. Here’s a breakdown of some of the main highlights of what Wolfpack Head Coach Dave Doeren had to say. You can watch the full video of his time with the press ABOVE .
Highlights
On the first day of practice on Wednesday, without being prompted, Doeren went out of his way to give praise to two young new members of the Wolfpack.
“It was good to see Tamarcus Cooley make some plays today. Had some nice interceptions. Keenan Jackson had some nice catches. Those two guys stepped up today. I thought they looked good in practice.”
Cooley is a Redshirt Freshman Defensive Back, who transferred in from Maryland this offseason. In practice, he was running with the 2nd Team Defense as the Nickelback. Cooley was High School teammates with Wolfpack Receiver Noah Rogers, who transferred in from Ohio St. this offseason.
Jackson is a True Freshman, who flipped his commitment from UNC to NC State on National Signing Day back in December. He was a 4-Star prospect out of Weddington High School in Matthews, North Carolina.
Doeren also gave an update on Junior Sean Brown moving from Safety to Linebacker.
“Really well. He’s a smart football player. In-game last year we had to move in there when Payton (Wilson) was out in the Clemson game. He had eight tackles in the fourth quarter. He showed us that he can play there in a game. He’s built for it. He can run. He’s physical. He’s got really good instincts, vision. He understands coach [Tony] Gibson’s defense and what he wants. That position has to have a guy in it that can really run and erase things. Sean is built for that.”
Brown has big shoes to fill, moving into the void that was left at WILL Linebacker. Payton Wilson used to wear those shoes. Back in the Spring, Brown had put on 10 pounds of muscle, and from the looks of things this past week, he might have put on a few more pounds of muscle since then.
Dantonio Burnette, NC State’s Strength & Conditioning Coach, shared this tweet last week, sharing that Brown ran a 4.43 40-yard dash this offseason.
SEAN BROWN
New year, new position but Bigger, Stronger & Faster. As a former Linebacker I’m extremely excited to see him roam the field for the WOLFPACK this season.
PRO AGILITY – 4.02
40 – 4.43
VJ – 38.6”#HTT #1Pack1Goal #Sprinting #Agility #ProAgility #Speed #FeedTheWolf pic.twitter.com/odpzW2lNPp— Dantonio Burnette (@CoachThunder_45) July 29, 2024
Check out our 2023 Highlight Reel of Brown.
Doeren said there are a few areas on the team where position battles are taking place.
“On the offensive line there’s some competition there. Looking forward to seeing that at the guard positions and the position of left guard in particular. There’s some really talented young receivers. Want to see how they come along and what they can do to help in some spots. On defense we brought in some older DBs. There’s a competition there.”
On Wednesday, former Walk-On, Redshirt Junior Matt McCabe was starting at Left Guard, and Redshirt Junior Anthony Carter Jr. was backing him up. Carter Jr. was the starter last season, and he has been recovering from offseason surgery. On the Right Side, Senior Timothy McKay was with the 1’s, and I expect him to remain there, serving as the starter last season.
On Wednesday, Sophomore KC Concepcion, Redshirt Freshman Noah Rogers and Redshirt Junior Dacari Collins were the starting Wide Receivers. I expect them to be the starters in Week 1 against Western Carolina, but expect a lot of the young talent behind them to fight for playing time as the year progresses. In my opinion, I can’t foresee any player behind Concepcion or Rogers taking their starting roles, but it will be interesting to see if someone pushes Collins for his job.
Obviously Aydan White will be starting at one of the Cornerback spots, and it looks like Sophomore Brandon Cisse is poised start on the other side, but I’m sure Corey Coley and Devon Marshall, who both Transferred in this offseason, are going to fight tooth-and-nail for that spot.
He had some kind words to say about McCabe’s journey from Walk-On to Scholarship Player.
“I’m really proud of Matt. Matt’s worked really hard. He does everything we ask him to do. He plays really hard. He trains really hard. He handles himself well in the community, in the classroom. It’s a great story.”
McCabe was awarded a Scholarship prior to the 2023 season.
Finally, Doeren thinks that NC State and Quarterback Grayson McCall are a perfect match.
“We’re very, very grateful that he’s here, one. Excited for him. Impressed by him. He understands the game. He’s a quick learner. He’s a really good teammate. Goes hard, holds himself to a high standard. Has no problem holding guys accountable and he does it in a good way. He’s demanding but not demeaning with people. He’s got great touch on the football. His game management skills, his clock management, everything. He’s a vet. He’s a great fit in our program.”
This past week, the ACC Network stopped by NC State’s practice for their ACC Football Road Trip, and chatted with Doeren as well.
A couple of notes from that:
Kevin Concepcion will be a part of the return game in some way this year on Special Teams. He was working with the Punt Return team in practice last week.
He also alluded to the fact that opposing Defenses won’t be able to simply focus on KC this year, because if they do, it will open up things for Noah Rogers, Justin Joly, Dacari Collins, Wesley Grimes and the Running Backs.
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