Woman left for dead in a blizzard to have her day in court

It's been just over a year since Hannah Lynch was shot in the head and left bleeding in her own front yard in the middle of a blizzard.

Her husband, Gregory Guilfoyle, is scheduled to go on trial next month on 11 separate charges.

Lynch's family says Hannah and her daughter are still in the process of healing, though her condition has improved. She was hospitalized for weeks in critical condition. Her family is not discussing the details of her recovery due to the pending trial.

Few details about what led to the shooting have been released, but Guilfoyle's lawyer said he plans to show the jury his client is not guilty, in part, by reason of insanity.

What happened to Hannah Lynch?

On the night of Dec. 22, 2022, Guilfoyle was spotted walking the roads near Brookville, Indiana, during a snowstorm with his 2-year-old daughter wearing only a onesie.

When a Franklin County sheriff's deputy caught up to him, the confrontation was quick. With the child in one hand, Guilfoyle drew a handgun with the other hand and fired at the officer striking him in his body armor, according to court documents.

The officer returned fire striking Guilfoyle causing him to fall and release his daughter. The 2-year-old girl was uninjured during the gunfight.

After the deputies realized who Guilfoyle was, they rushed to his house to find Lynch. That October, they had been to their home for a report of domestic violence involving Guilfoyle and one of his female relatives.

When they arrived, the deputies found Lynch in the snow with her clothes frozen to her body, possibly an hour or more after she was shot. As the roads iced over in subzero temperatures, she was rushed 34 miles away to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center in Cincinnati.

Lynch's family has not disclosed the extent of the injuries she suffered, but she remained in the hospital for at least six weeks.

A custody fight

Following Guilfoyle's capture, he, too, was hospitalized. The Franklin County Sheriff's Department said it could not care for him in its jail, so he was released on bond and went to live with his parents.

Guilfoyle's lawyer, Judson McMillin, has not released details about where his client was shot, but court records state he is now wheelchair-bound and living with his parents.

However, his parents also filed for custody of the couple's daughter. The girl was staying with Lynch's parents while she was in the hospital. The issue took about 10 months to resolve.

Guilfoyle's parents lost their petition for custody and in July filed a petition for visitation. In October, a Dearborn Circuit Court judge ruled that he would not order Lynch and her parents to allow Guilfoyle's parents to visit.

"If the petitioners really want to have visitation with their grandchild, given the horrific action of their son, then it is incumbent upon them to convince the child's mother that said contact is appropriate," Judge Aaron Negangard wrote.

Trial to begin Feb. 12

Guilfoyle is charged with multiple counts of attempted murder, negligence of a dependent and weapons charges.

McMillin said a doctor has said Guilfoyle is competent to stand trial. He said ongoing psychiatric evaluations are happening. Evidence from those will be presented at trial to show Guilfoyle's state of mind at the time of the shooting.

The trial is scheduled to begin Feb. 12 before Franklin County Circuit Court Judge Steven Cox.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Trial set for man accused of shooting wife, officer in a blizzard