81-year-old found guilty of second-degree murder in husband’s death

An 81-year-old woman has been found guilty of the second-degree murder of her husband. CTV's Krista Simpson reports.

Elfgard Oughtred, 81, has been found guilty of second-degree murder in death of her husband, Gordon Oughtred.

Gordon was found in a pool of blood on the floor of the couple’s Brant County home on Nov. 24, 2022.

An autopsy concluded his death was caused by blunt force trauma to the head.

After six hours of deliberation, the jury came back with the guilty verdict on Friday.

Elfgard’s lawyer Nimrata Sandhu declined an interview but told CTV off camera she feels great sympathy for her client.

“I do think there’s two sides to every story,” Sandhu said.

The guilty verdict comes with an automatic sentence of life in prison. Justice Aubrey Hilliard will later decide how long Elfgard will be ineligible for parole for. That timespan could range between 10 and 25 years.

Jurors were offered the option to weigh in on the decision: eight jurors recommended the minimum of 10 years, while three jurors did not offer a recommendation.

Justice Hilliard commended the lawyers for their work.

“This has been a difficult trial,” she said.

She also admitted it was a long three weeks.

“Your diligence has been commendable,” she said to the jurors.

Elfgard is scheduled to appear in court July 27 for a parole eligibility hearing. Victim impact statements are expected to be heard at that time.

History of the case

The Crown alleges Elfgard killed her husband amid tensions over her gambling habit.

Over the course of the three-week trial, jurors heard testimony from family members, first responders, police officers and various experts.

They were also shown video of three statements Elfgard made to police throughout the course of the investigation. She has always denied being responsible for Gordon’s death.

Elfgard’s defense did not call any evidence but, in closing arguments, her lawyer Nimrata Sandhu claimed the Crown’s case had gaps that should leave jurors with reasonable doubt. She also suggested it was possible Gordon’s injuries were the result of a fall.

On Friday morning, jurors heard there were three possible verdicts: they could find Elfgard guilty of second-degree murder, not guilty or guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter if they believed Elfgard caused Gordon’s death but did not intend to kill him.

The trial began with twelve jurors but one was dismissed mid-trial. The remaining jurors began deliberating on Friday morning.