Vince Gilmer, a former doctor based in North Carolina, was recently pardoned of his crimes and sentence in January 2022. But parole and governmental delay see him still stuck behind bars while he slowly withers away in health.
Gilmer has Huntington's Disease, an illness that eats away at your cognitive functions and physical capabilities. It's the basis on which he was granted his pardon by physician Benjamin Gilmer (no relation).
With the help of his physician and a local lawmaker, Vince Gilmer will finally be released in the care of his physician and now legal guardian. In junction with his parole terms, the former doctor will spend his days full-time at the hospital, receiving proper care for his lost functions. This will also allow his mother to finally see him again. "I'm praying I can get there and just hold him again," she says.
Why Did The Doctor Go To Prison?
Vince Gilmer fully admitted to murdering his father, Dalton Gilmer, in 2004. Vince claimed he made a sexual advance towards him after checking him out of a psychiatric hospital. This follows a history of sexual abuse from his father. This time, it made him snap.
Gilmer claims he was hearing voices when he snapped at his father. It was reported that his father was strangled and his fingers were promptly severed.
Benjamin came into the picture when he saw Vince's name at his former clinic. His former coworkers laud him as a beloved member of the community, engaging with those around him on a very personable level. The former doctor frequently went out of his way to help people, regardless of pay.
It was this tender affection and care that Vince had for the community that made Benjamin investigate the situation further. How could he have committed such a horrific crime?
So Benjamin spends the years trying to cobble a fair assessment of his reputation. Upon learning of the former doctor's illness, the physician was able to plead the case for mental instability. Now, there is light at the end of the tunnel. They are reasonably cautious after a decade of frustration. "We haven't had any trust in the Virginia carceral system over the years," he says. "We're not going to celebrate until Thursday."
