1960 meets young actor Tom Gilson on the Burbank lot. New York-born Thomas P. Gilson was discovered in 1953 by director Henry Hathaway, who gave him a small role in his Prince Valiant.
August 61
celebrates completion of her role in Warners` A Fever in the Blood by marrying Gilson
8 December 61
her son, Thomas S. Gilson, Jr., is born in Los Angeles
c. August 62
separates from 6-foot-4 Gilson when he starts beating her while she holds the baby in her arms "and some of the blows struck the baby." She moves into the suburban home of her sister and brother-in-law, Connie E. and Richard Davis, in Van Nuys, California
6 October 62
early in the day, she kills Gilson at the Davis` home with a shotgun blast through the heart. After the shooting, she stumbles from her home crying: "Oh, My God! Oh, My God! I hope this is a nightmare. It`s got to be a nightmare. I love him so, I love him so." Sandra tells the police that Gilson phoned her and threatened her life. She called her sister and asked her to return home from a party. A few minutes later Gilson called again and mentioned a new girlfriend. Sandra then called police. The Davis couple came home, and her brother-in-law gave her a 12-gauge shotgun. She says Davis instructed her: "If he comes over, you can use this to frighten him." Then Mrs. Davis went to bed, and Davis returned to the party to pick up his car.
Sandra says Gilson arrived at the house, screaming outside and demanding to see his 9-month-old son. Finally he broke through the rear door when she refused to let him in. She says she threatened to shoot and he replied: "Go ahead. I don`t care. If you don`t shoot, Sandra, I`ll kill you and the kids." She says he was about a foot from the muzzle of the shotgun when she fired. "I really thought the safety was on," she says. Also in the house at the time were Sandra`s three kids - two by a previous marriage - and Mrs. Davis and her 2-year-old son. Mrs. Davis` husband was still out.
Sandra tells the police that Gilson "was a violent man who refused to seek help. He would drink himself to the stage where he would go blank. Time and time again he would beat me." She is booked on suspicion of murder and jailed at Lincoln Heights, where the press catches her crying. Gilson was 28; she`s 24.
8 October 62
is permitted to go free pending a coroner`s inquest into the death of Gilson. Deputy District attorney Owen Boon says the decision was made not to file a complaint against her until after the inquest on October 10. The decision does not eliminate possible action after the inquest and hearing of testimony on circumstances of the shooting. Police say the couple`s relationship has been a storm. On numerous occasions, officers say, they were called to the Davis house to quiet disturbances involving the pair when Gilson attempted to invade the house.
10 October 62
is cleared in Los Angeles by a coroner`s jury of "criminal responsibility for the fatal shooting of her boyfriend." Gilson`s death is ruled justifiable homicide. She says Gilson was "very drunk" and defied her to shoot him. She testifies: "I said, `Tommy, please don`t come any closer` - it just happened, and I pulled the trigger." She also says Gilson telephoned her before coming to the home.
July 65
columnist Dick Kleiner tells a strange story: "One of Chad Everett`s good friends was an actor named Tom Gilson who was killed in an accident. Some months later, Chad had three friends in for dinner. Afterwards, they were sitting around, exchanging shop talk, when one of the guests says: `Where did that fellow go, who was standing by the sofa?` They had all, it turned out, been aware that a fifth person had been in the room but had gone. Chad and Greg Morris recognized the uninvited guest as Tom Gilson."