Woman Allegedly Tries To Kill Friend With Hammer After She Backs Out Of Suicide Pact

A woman from Putney, Vermont, is facing serious charges after allegedly bashing her roommate in the head repeatedly with a hammer. Although she has denied the accusations, it appears that she tried to kill her friend after she tried to back out of a suicide pact they made.

According to the Associated Press, 69-year-old Fiona Gordon-Macleod faced the court on Monday and pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted murder and aggravated domestic assault.

The court documents reveal that Fiona Gordon-Macleod made a suicide pact with her 76-year-old roommate, agreeing to take their own lives once their health began to degrade with age. Police reported that the suicide pact was never definitive, but Fiona Gordon-Macleod apparently took the agreement very seriously. When her roommate declared that she no longer wanted to go through with the suicide pact, Gordon-Macleod seemingly decided to take the woman’s life by force.

According to prosecutors, Fiona Gordon-Macleod began to attack her roommate with a hammer, bashing her repeatedly in the head and upper torso, all because she backed out of the suicide pact. The victim survived the attack, but Gordon-Macleod believed her roommate may be dead and called 911 to confess.

According to the Burlington Free Press, state troopers responded to the call at Fiona Gordon-Macleod’s Putney home to find her 76-year-old roommate severely injured. The culprit was still at the crime scene and identified herself as Fiona Gordon-Macleod. She was arrested at the scene.

Gordon-Macleod reportedly admitted to the 911 dispatcher that she might have committed murder, but on Monday, she denied accusations that she tried to kill her roommate over a suicide pact.

The Windham County Public Defender’s Office is representing Macleod but made no comment about the suicide pact case.

According to the Berkshire Eagle, the health of both Fiona Gordon-Macleod and her roommate had been deteriorating for some time, which Gordon-Macleod believed was an indication that the suicide pact should be fulfilled.

“Through several conversations, both Gordon-Macleod and (the victim) had expressed a wish to be in control of their life and wanted to end their lives together when they were ready,” said a court document.

Both of the women had discussed the suicide pact but seemingly made no final decision on whether or not they would actually carry it out. And on December 17, the victim reportedly brought up the possibility of improving her own health with a pacemaker. Fiona Gordon-Macleod did not take this idea well. She felt betrayed and quickly became depressed.

The affidavit states that the very next day, Gordon-Macleod enacted her plan to force her roommate into finishing the suicide pact. She retrieved a hammer from a tool box and brought it into her friend’s room, keeping the weapon hidden. When it became clear that the roommate was not going through with the suicide pact, Fiona Gordon-Macleod decided it was up to her to kill the woman and take her own life.

“At this time Gordon-Macleod stood up, picked up the hammer and struck (the victim) in the head with it. (The victim) screamed for help as Gordon-Macleod continued to strike her at least a dozen times in the head and upper body.”

If Gordon-Macleod is found guilty of first-degree murder, she faces a minimum sentence of 35 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life.

What do you think? Did Fiona Gordon-Macleod really try to kill her friend because she didn’t want to go through with a suicide pact?

[Image via Vermont State Police]