LAKEPORT — A Clearlake man pleaded not guilty Friday to charges of murdering his wife.
Judge Richard Freeborn agreed the $1.5 million bail set against Eddie Gillespie was appropriate.
Gillespie, 50, will return to court Aug. 20 for a pre-preliminary hearing and Aug. 27 for his preliminary hearing, which lawyers said they expect to take one to two hours.
He is charged with murder and assault with a firearm.
A special allegation that he used a firearm, causing serious bodily harm or death, accompanies the charges. He faces 50 years to life in prison with the charges and allegation.
Gillespie allegedly shot his wife, Tracey Gillespie, 52, multiple times at approximately 6:20 a.m. on May 25 in her Clearlake Oaks home on Walnut Way.
That morning, Gillespie called the Lake County Sheriff”s dispatch and said he shot his wife inside her Walnut Way home, Capt. James Bauman of the Lake County Sheriff”s Office said. Deputies and detectives with the Major Crimes Unit responded to the home where they arrested Gillespie.
Law enforcement recovered a large-caliber handgun. Northshore fire crews responded and pronounced Gillespie”s wife dead at the scene.
Further investigation revealed that the Gillespies had only been married since February, they were estranged and living in separate homes, Bauman said.
Two days before the incident, Tracey Gillespie argued with their son, Kyle Gillespie, 27, at Eddie Gillepie”s home, resulting in their son”s arrest for battery.
“Eddie and Tracey Gillespie had reportedly been arguing about Kyle Gillespie”s arrest on and off since (May 23”s) incident and when Eddie Gillespie called dispatch (May 25) morning to report the shooting, he also stated Tracey had ?put his son in jail,”” Bauman stated in a press release.
“Kyle Gillespie was released on his own recognizance by the courts the same day his father was booked for murder,” Bauman said.?
Contact Katy Sweeny at kdsweeny@gmail.com or call her directly at 263-5636, ext. 37.
