NJ Ex-Teacher Gets 20 Years For Killing Retired-Cop Boyfriend

MOUNT OLIVE, NJ — A former elementary school teacher, whose conviction was overturned last year, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for killing her boyfriend. Virginia Vertetis previously pleaded guilty to the aggravated manslaughter of Patrick Gilhuley, a retired New York City police officer.

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The victim's daughter reported the incident to police the night of March 3, 2014. Officers found Gilhuley's body inside the home's front entrance and arrested Vertetis shortly afterward. The investigation revealed that Vertetis shot Gilhuley inside her home.

A jury convicted Vertetis of murder in 2017, and a judge sentenced her to 30 years in prison. But an appeals court ordered a new trial last year, with defense attorneys arguing jurors were misled by the state's laws governing self-defense.

Vertetis had testified that she shot Gilhuley because he attacked her in a drunken rage. Prosecutors said she killed him after he tried to break up with her.

Judge Stephen J. Taylor adopted the sentencing recommendation of 20 years imprisonment Thursday. Vertetis must serve 85 percent of her sentence — about 17 years — before she's eligible for parole.