TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (WXYZ) — The man accused of stabbing 11 people at a Traverse City Walmart appeared disheveled and confused Monday in court, asking a jail officer: “Do I have to do this?” moments before he was arraigned on charges of terrorism and assault with intent to murder.
Watch Ross Jones's video report:
They are hardly the first criminal charges brought against Bradford Gille. The 42-year-old’s criminal history is decades-long trail of misdemeanor and felony charges that tell the story of a life in a slow-motion spiral.
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Court records and news reports also show that Gille spent years struggling to seek mental health treatment.
In 2005, Gille pleaded guilty to domestic violence in Emmett County, Michigan, with records showing he spent 93 days in confinement.
The following year, records show he pleaded guilty to 3rd degree retail fraud in Petoskey. Two years after that, he pleaded guilty to aggravated domestic violence, this time spending a year behind bars. Four years later, records show he was convicted of assault.
Viewer video shows people surrounding suspect outside Traverse City Walmart:
Florida court records show that in 2014, Gille was sentenced to 49 days in jail following a criminal mischief conviction.
In 2016, records show Gille was charged with felony destruction of tombs and disinterment and mutilation of dead bodies. But Emmet County court records show he was found not guilty by reason of insanity.
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Gille’s struggle with mental illness was so severe, he was featured in a 2007 article in the Petoskey News-Review where his mother said her son — then 23 — suffered from paranoid schizophrenia, fearing he would never break out of the cycle of hospital stays and incarceration:
"He's fine when he's on his medication," Gille, a Levering resident, said. "The problem is, his illness tells him that he is fine and doesn't need to take his medication. He's also been through the (mental health) evaluations so many times that he knows how to answer their questions."
Those worst fears came true today inside 86th District Court, where Gille — who appeared out of sorts and confused — was arraigned via Zoom.
At one point, he sparred with the magistrate who was questioning him, accusing her of “selling cigarettes with fiber glass and chemical in them.”
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The arraignment came just hours after the Emmett County Sheriff’s office announced that they’d been searching for Gille only the night before the attack.
In a press release, they said they’d received a court order from the Emmett County probate court, instructing them to take Gille into custody. The press release did not say why.
Deputies said they searched for Gille — believed to be homeless — but could not locate him before the attack.
The Emmett County Sheriff did not respond to a call seeking comment.
Gille was given a $100,000 cash bond and entered a not guilty plea Monday. He is next due back in court on August 12.
Contact 7 Investigator Ross Jones at ross.jones@wxyz.com or at (248) 827-9466.
