The mother accused of killing her 8-year-old son in a botched murder-suicide attempt in a Midtown hotel pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder charges today. Speaking in what was described as "a mousy voice," socialite and pharmaceutical executive Gigi Jordan made the plea via video from her bed in Elmhurst Hospital, where she has been held since she was discovered "babbling incoherently" beside the body of her child earlier this month.
The Post reports that defense attorney Gerald Shargell says Jordan "can't be held criminally responsible" for the death of her son Jude Michael Mirra, who reportedly overdosed on prescription medication in a 16th-floor suite in the posh Peninsula hotel. According to 1010WINS, Jordan's lawyers will "pursue a psychiatric defense."
Prosecutor Kerry O'Connell acknowledged that there is "a very valid case'' that Jordan shouldn't be held accountable due to her psychiatric condition, but the lawyer noted that "the evidence in this case is overwhelming," citing "numerous emails" Jordan sent out in which she said she would kill herself and her son. Jordan had reportedly become increasingly detached from friends and family as she sought treatment for her son's autism.
