NEW JERSEY – A New Jersey judge again sentenced a former teacher to 20 years in prison for killing her boyfriend, who was a retired New York City police officer.
Virginia Vertetis, 59, was originally sentenced to 30 years behind bars for shooting Patrick Gilhuley in 2014 at Mount Olive. However, his initial conviction for murder and possession of a weapon for an illegal purpose was overturned on appeal in March 2020.
Vertetis had claimed that he shot Gilhuley in self-defense. But prosecutors argued that she shot him without provocation because she was angry that he had broken up with her.
He pleaded guilty in September to an amended count of aggravated murder.
On Thursday, the judge agreed to a negotiated sentence subject to the Early Release Prohibition Act. Vertetis received approximately 7 1/2 years of credit for time served after his arrest.
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