RICHMOND, Ky. (LEX 18) — Former Kentucky lawmaker and businessman C. Wesley Morgan has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the man accused of killing his daughter, Jordan.
Court documents claim Shannon Gilday broke into the Morgan's multi-million dollar home in Madison County with an assault rifle, shooting his daughter multiple times nearly a year ago while she was asleep. Gilday was arrested about one week later and is facing several charges.
According to a Kentucky State Police detective, Gilday confessed to the killing shortly after he was arrested and said he was "willing to kill everyone" inside the home in order to access an underground bunker. A search warrant obtained by LEX 18 reveals Gilday wrote notes about the bunker and monitored the family's sleep schedules prior to the alleged invasion.
In a civil lawsuit filed Monday in Madison County Circuit Court, Gilday is named as the defendant along with his mother, Katie, and several unnamed defendants. Morgan is suing for the wrongful death of his daughter, Jordan, and for personal injuries sustained by himself and another daughter of his.
According to court documents, Morgan claims the suspect's mother, Katie, "participated knowingly in activities which aided or assisted Gilday in his detailed planning of the invasion" of Morgan's home. The lawsuit claims Gilday's mother had information prior to the shooting which should have been reported to police before Gilday's alleged invasion of Morgan's home.
"She knew that Gilday was a danger to himself and to others and failed to take any action," the lawsuit claims. "She knew under the circumstances that he was armed with deadly weapons or had access to deadly weapons to carry out his mission of invading the Morgan home; and she took no action to prevent his plan from coming to fruition."
In a statement released days after the shooting and prior to his arrest, Gilday's mother said she was "greatly saddened" by the Morgan family's loss and said she "tried to get him psychiatric help but to no avail."
Morgan is asking for punitive and compensatory damages for the claims stated in the lawsuit. He claims that he "incurred medical expenses, loss of income, and physical and mental pain and suffering" as a result of Shannon and Katie Gilday's alleged actions.
Gilday is facing multiple charges, including capital murder, three counts of attempted murder, first-degree assault, first-degree burglary, and first-degree criminal mischief. He is also facing a third-degree assault charge for an incident with a corrections officer while in custody.
He's currently being held in the Madison County Detention Center and is due back in court on criminal charges next month.
