In Posthumous Court Filing, Tamarac Murder Victim Denies Accused Killer’s Claims

Ten days before she was shot to death, along with her father and a neighbor whose home she ran into seeking help, Mary Gingles prepared with her lawyer responses to the husband who would stand accused of the triple homicide in Tamarac. They became public this week, in a posthumous court filing in the case she filed in December seeking a permanent domestic violence injunction against her husband, Nathan.

Mary drafted her responses on February 6, two days after Nathan served her with his "request for admissions." Her attorney, Kelley Joseph, declined to comment on why she filed the pleadings on Wednesday, just before the 30-day deadline to respond to the requests, which would deem them admitted by the court.

Under Florida rules, if no response to requested admissions is filed after 30 days, they are deemed by the court to be admitted. This week’s filing came just before that deadline passed – on the same day Nathan was indicted by a grand jury on first-degree murder, kidnapping, child abuse, and other charges connected to the February 16 kidnapping of their 4-year-old daughter, Seraphine.

At his arraignment on Friday, his attorney pled not guilty and demanded a trial by jury on his behalf, giving prosecutors 45 days to decide whether to file a notice to seek the death penalty for the murders.

On the family court side, though, Mary Gingles is still speaking through the court filing and, when it comes to Nathan seeking admissions that he was not a threat to her, the responses are clear: denied. Stating the responses are "in her words," the filing has Mary denying point-by-point her estranged husband’s demands, giving her last official warning on what was about to happen to her.

Mary denied that there had been no documented threats of violence by him against her, pointing out that she had documented several threats involving the tracker, the break-ins, and other issues. She also denied that Nathan had not threatened to harm her, stating that any reasonable person would consider his actions a threat to harm her. Finally, she denied that she was not in imminent fear of becoming a victim of domestic violence, stating that Nathan had acted "unhinged" for a long time and she was in imminent fear of becoming a victim of domestic violence.

Again, 10 days after drafting those responses, police say, her fears were borne out when Nathan kidnapped Seraphine and took her along to witness his killing spree, before she was rescued from him hours later by Broward Sheriff’s deputies.

Conclusion

Mary Gingles’ posthumous court filing serves as a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of domestic violence and the importance of taking threats and warnings seriously. Her responses to her husband’s requests for admissions are a powerful testament to the fear and danger she faced in her final days.

Frequently Asked Questions

• How did Mary Gingles prepare for her posthumous court filing?
  • Mary prepared with her lawyer responses to her estranged husband’s requests for admissions, which became public this week.
• Why did Mary’s lawyer file the pleadings on Wednesday?
  • Mary’s lawyer, Kelley Joseph, declined to comment on why she filed the pleadings, but they were required by the court to be filed before the 30-day deadline.
• What were the charges against Nathan Gingles?
  • Nathan Gingles was indicted on first-degree murder, kidnapping, child abuse, and other charges connected to the February 16 kidnapping of their 4-year-old daughter, Seraphine.