Algonquin woman pleads guilty but mentally ill in 2020 stabbing death of local couple

A woman whose mental state has been in question has pleaded guilty but mentally ill in the stabbing deaths of an Algonquin couple in 2020.

Arin M. Fox, 42, of Algonquin, who is in custody at the McHenry County jail, faces 40 to 60 years in prison when she’s due to be sentenced in December. She entered the plea on Friday for killing her then-boyfriend’s parents, according to an order filed in the McHenry County courthouse.

Fox pleaded guilty to one count of murder, records show; in exchange, three additional counts of murder were dismissed, as were charges of possession of a stolen vehicle, aggravated battery and domestic battery in the deaths of Noreen S. Gilard, 69, and Leonard J. Gilard, 73.

Fox was accused of stabbing the couple to death between Nov. 6 and Nov. 7, 2020, according to the indictment, and then taking off in their Buick to Douglas County, Colorado, where she was arrested Nov. 8.

Fox was extradited about three months later to McHenry County.

In a stipulation on file signed by Fox; her attorney, Assistant Public Defender Kyle Kunz; and Assistant State’s Attorney Ashley Romito, all parties agreed that Fox had been previously diagnosed by three doctors with bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder and schizophrenia.

The document also states that Dr. Robert Meyer, a licensed clinical psychologist with The Mathers Clinic, completed a mental state evaluation of Fox on Oct 22, 2021. He found that Fox “meets the criteria for a plea of guilty but mentally ill.”

When Fox first arrived at the jail, her assistant public defender at the time, Ryan Ahern, sought to raise doubt about her fitness for trial and requested that Fox be evaluated.

Fox was evaluated by forensic psychologist Betsy Lohr from The Mathers Clinic. At that time, Lohr determined Fox was mentally fit to stand trial.

In October 2021, Fox was evaluated again because, Lohr said, Fox was experiencing signs of mental illness, such as hallucinations and delusions. Lohr said at that time Fox has a history of schizoaffective disorder and bipolar depression and was not always compliant with taking her medications.

Fox had received treatment at a mental health facility in Elgin and was returned to the jail.

At a hearing in June 2022, Lohr told Fox’s defense attorney that being in isolation, as Fox was when she returned to the jail, could “trigger psychosis.”

Lohr also said at that hearing that Fox was not taking one of her antipsychotic medicines and risking increased auditory delusions, hallucinations and psychosis.

Fox said the drug makes her hear voices like there is a “crazy woman” in her head, Lohr said.

Lohr said even though Fox was not taking the one prescription and she sees some signs of her mental illness emerging, she still thinks Fox has been restored to fitness and can aid in her trial.

The doctor said at the time that Fox was social, eating, has a “comprehensive understanding” of her circumstances and the legal process, and is able to “handle herself appropriately for trial.”

Prior to killing the Gilards, Fox was arrested in October 2019 after her boyfriend, the Gilards’ son, called the police and reported that Fox threw a butcher’s knife at him, court records show. Fox had been using the knife to chop vegetables when she allegedly threw it in his direction but it didn’t strike him, according to court records. She was charged in that incident with misdemeanor aggravated battery, but the charge was later dropped.

In a legal context, guilty but mentally ill means a defendant has mental illness but that they still understand the difference between right and wrong, and could receive mental health treatment as part of their sentence. The plea variation arose as a response to defendants who are found not guilty by reason of insanity.