A New Jersey woman is being faced with murder charges after she “accidentally” shot him in the head as he slept. Michele Linzalone, 73, was indicted for the killing of 74-year-old Rocky Linzalone in December 2021 after she claimed that her gun went off while she was playing with it.
- A grand jury wasn’t convinced by Linzalone’s story. In fact, they believed it was a load of rubbish and that Linzalone purposely killed the disabled man. The members of the grand jury “present that Michele Linzalone, on or about December 13, 2021, in or about the Township of Middletown … did commit the crime of Murder, by purposely or knowingly causing the death of R.L., or by purposely or knowingly causing serious bodily injury resulting in the death of R.L.,” the indictment read.
- Linzalone claimed that she believed the gun was unloaded. Asbury Park Press reported that at the time her husband was killed, Linzalone’s version of “playing” with the firearm meant aiming the gun at his head as he slept. She claimed that when she pulled the trigger, she did so believing it was unloaded. The gun was kept in her bedside drawer for “protection<” she told police.
- Her internet search history did give her away a bit. Law&Crime reports that Linzalone had reportedly searched for some pretty shady stuff leading up to Rocky’s death. One of them, “If you shoot someone in the head, will they die instantly?” was performed on her phone only 22 minutes before she called 911 claiming to have “accidentally” shot her poor husband. In weeks previous, she’d been searching for ammunition, in particular hollow-point bullets, NJ.com reports.
- Linzalone waited nearly 30 minutes before calling 911 after shooting her husband. She later told officers that this was “because she was in shock and she wanted to get dressed and brush her teeth.”
- Sadly, Rocky Linzalone had become disabled and Michele was his sole caregiver. After suffering multiple strokes over the past two years, he was left disabled and required Michele to look after him full-time. This “appeared to take a toll on (Michele) and she became resentful for this towards the victim,” according to family members.
- Linzalone’s lawyer insists there was no motive for the crime. While the Linzalones are said to be multimillionaires, attorney Edward C. Bertucio points out that his client hadn’t transferred any of the money in their accounts after killing her husband. “There is no evidence whatsoever that she was trying to profit substantially from the very sizable marital fortune, and she looks forward to her day in court to exonerate herself,” he said.
Linzalone is currently being held without bail in the Monmouth County Jail on charges of murder and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.
