Gilroy
– A dozen family members arrived 30 minutes early to the hearing
of Charles Handley, 78, only to see the hearing continued to May
25. He is being held without bail ,charged with attempted murder
and is expected to enter a plea at his next hearing.
Gilroy – A dozen family members arrived 30 minutes early to the hearing of Charles Handley, 78, only to see the hearing continued to May 25. He is being held without bail ,charged with attempted murder and is expected to enter a plea at his next hearing.
The delay gives the defense time to conduct a psychological investigation, Deputy District Attorney Amir Alem said.
Handley, a San Jose resident, has been charged with two counts of attempted murder after he fired at Lynda Handley, his former daughter-in-law, and her boyfriend, widower Lynn Ryle. Ryle and the victim’s mother were present at the hearing.
Charles Handley tried to shoot the couple outside their garage on Festa Aglio Court, missing twice, police said. Police initially indicated that Ryle then charged the gunman, forcing him to the ground. Witnesses later said that it was Lynda Handley who knocked him to the ground.
The woman was shot in the thigh as the two struggled over the weapon, before Lynda Handley knocked her former father-in-law to the ground and the two pinned him down until police arrived. It is unclear why Charles Handley attacked the couple.
Adrienne Dell, with the law firm Vertner & Dell, represented Handley at the hearing and declined to comment, as did friends and family members.
Charles Handley’s attorney, Victor Vertner, is seeking a bail study, which will aid a judge in determining whether his client can be released from jail. In turn, Alem requested protective orders for Ryle, Lynda Handley and Marlyn Rasmussen, Lynda Handley’s mother and a prominent resident of Los Gatos.
“We think he’s a danger to himself and to society given what he’s done,” said Alem.
Wednesday’s incident was the second violent episode at 971 Festa Aglio Court, where Ryle’s late wife Kathryn was found dead, shot in the chest, in September 2006.
Police have yet to determine whether the woman’s death was a suicide, and are waiting on lab results before deciding whether to send the case to the District Attorney’s office.
