LEONARDTOWN — An English lecturer charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of her husband was granted $100,000 bail in St. Mary’s County District Court Wednesday afternoon.
Joanna Findlay — who teaches four sections of junior English — was accused of shooting her husband, Gary Trogdon, in their Hollywood, Md., home on Oct. 30.
Findlay told police Trogdon shot himself after she found a stash of child pornography, her attorney, John Ray, said in court Wednesday. She was charged with second-degree murder, and prosecutors were concerned she would be a danger to herself or others, or try to flee to her native Scotland, where she still holds citizenship.
Judge Christy Holt Chesser granted bail with the condition of pretrial supervision. A trial date has not yet been set.
In an interview after the preliminary hearing and bond hearing, Ray said he did not know whether Findlay would be posting the $100,000 bail, saying that was a decision for her family. Her parents were in court Wednesday but declined to comment; Findlay did not speak during the hearing.
Lea Chartok, who directs the English Department’s Professional Writing Program, could not be reached for comment Wednesday afternoon to say whether Findlay would be able to resume teaching her classes if she posts bail.
holt at umdbk dot com
