Garland man files wrongful death lawsuit against his wife’s killer

BELFAST, Maine, Aug. 19, 2014 – The husband of Lynn Arsenault, the woman who was shot and killed last summer in Belfast, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the shooter, 44-year-old Todd Gilday.

Berman & Simmons filed the complaint last week at Waldo County Superior Court. Berman & Simmons represents Lynn Arsenault’s husband, Donald Arsenault Jr. of Garland. Arsenault seeks unspecified financial compensation for the loss of his wife, including for her conscious pain and suffering before her death.

Gilday pleaded guilty last month to the murder of Lynn Arsenault on the night of Aug. 28, 2013. The Maine Attorney General’s Office is recommending that Gilday serve 50 years in prison. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 20, in front of Justice Robert Murray.

“The loss of Lynn Arsenault has been devastating to her husband, other family members, and her community,” a Berman & Simmons representative said. “No one should have to endure what they have gone through over the past year. This lawsuit is intended to make sure that justice is delivered in Maine’s civil court system, just as it has been done in the criminal system.”

Lynn Arsenault, 55, was a beloved family member, mother, and friend, known for her generosity and positive attitude. She worked for Bank of America. According to court records, on Aug. 28, 2013, Gilday shot Arsenault and her son, Mathew Day, at a home on Waldo Avenue in Belfast. Gilday was apparently involved in a personal dispute with Day, who was seriously injured but survived the shooting.