51-year-old mother, who would tie a bed sheet to her leg and her 11-year-old son so he couldn’t leave and beat the boy with electrical cords and pipes, was sentenced

Gilmore faced a total of four charges stemming from abuse allegations made by her 11-year-old son in 2023. She was convicted of one count of felony child endangerment, two counts of child endangerment (one a felony, one a misdemeanor), unlawful restraint, and misdemeanor domestic violence. Notably, the jury found her not guilty of kidnapping—a charge that could have carried a 10-year sentence—choosing instead to convict her of the lesser offense of unlawful restraint.

The jury deliberated for two hours after a three-day trial in court. Gilmore testified in her own defense, denying the most severe accusations, including claims that she zip-tied her son or beat him in the basement. However, the court found enough evidence to convict her on the remaining charges, underscoring a troubling dynamic between the mother and her child that prosecutors said went far beyond strict parenting.

The disturbing chain of events began unraveling when Gilmore’s son was discovered alone inside a store. He remained there for hours, prompting concern and a call to the police. Police officers launched an investigation, leading them to uncover allegations of repeated physical and emotional abuse inside the boy’s home. According to testimony, Gilmore used household items—including zip ties, extension cords, and even metal pipes—to physically punish her son. Prosecutors detailed how the child was restrained and struck with these objects. Assistant Prosecutor C. Andrews stated plainly that “while [the child] was tied up, she would hit him with these objects and she would abuse him.”

The boy told investigators that the abuse began years earlier when he was just five years old. He accused Gilmore of tying him up in the basement and beating him while restrained. Gilmore denied those claims and insisted that she only once tied a bed sheet from her leg to his as a preventative measure, saying she wanted to go with him if he tried to run away again. “I’m going with you,” she recalled telling him—words that would later echo hauntingly through the courtroom. She claimed her son frequently ran away and became upset because she wouldn’t allow him access to the internet or public school. Her attorney argued that the boy had fabricated parts of the story in retaliation against what he saw as overly strict parenting.

Police photographs of the home revealed cluttered conditions, which Gilmore dismissed as part of her crafting hobby. She insisted she was not a hoarder but a creative person collecting materials for art and home renovation. She also denied that her son had ever been forced to sleep in the basement, saying he slept on a couch because he had broken multiple beds. At her sentencing, Gilmore told the court, “I am not a criminal. I am a beacon to this community. I help people that are on drugs.” She had spent months in jail awaiting trial and hoped for leniency, stating that her intentions as a mother were never cruel.

Judge A. Logan ordered Gilmore to serve three years of probation. As a condition, she must undergo mental health treatment and serve an additional 55 days in jail, completing an eight-month total sentence behind bars. Most significantly, she is forbidden from having any contact with her son during the probationary period. A violation of that order would result in a three-year prison term. The boy has since been removed from her custody by the children’s services board. This case—marked by conflicting testimonies, emotional weight, and lasting trauma—ended with a sentence that prioritized rehabilitation over incarceration. Still, the emotional scars left behind tell a deeper story, one of trust shattered and a childhood spent in fear behind the walls of a home that should have offered protection.