WASHINGTON COUNTY — The boyfriend of the 20-year-old woman murdered in a driveway shooting last April in Washington County has now filed a civil lawsuit against the man convicted of the crime, as well as his wife Jinx for her alleged role in the incident.
Blake Walsh, of Cambridge, was dating Kaylin Gillis, the young woman shot and killed last April. After a highly publicized trial, Kevin Monahan was convicted of second-degree murder and other related charges in the death of Gillis for shooting at several vehicles of young people who mistakenly drove up his driveway while looking for a friend's house nearby. Walsh was driving the vehicle Gillis was in along with several other friends.
Walsh is seeking punitive damages in an amount exceeding the jurisdictional limits of the lower courts and inferior courts, according to the lawsuit. The civil suit was filed in state Supreme Court in Washington County last week.
The lawsuit states that Walsh has been rendered emotionally distressed and suffered psychological harm because of the actions of Kevin and Jinx Monahan, which Walsh continues to suffer from to this day.
“Due to defendant Kevin Monahan’s careless, negligent and reckless discharge of a weapon,” the civil suit states. “Blake Walsh was forced to witness the shooting of Ms. Gillis who was seated immediately to his right and watched her perish.”
Walsh’s civil suit says that Kevin Monahan’s actions caused Walsh to become “emotionally distraught, and in fear for his life,” as well as for the others in the vehicle.
According to the lawsuit, Jinx Monahan knew her husband easily became emotionally distraught and agitated in a variety of circumstances, including but not limited to when uninvited motorists would erroneously enter the Monahan property and/or driveway to turn around. The civil suit states that Jinx Monahan negligently, carelessly and recklessly failed to properly secure weapons.
Walsh is represented in the civil case is Albany-based attorney Peter Scagnelli, of The Scagnelli Law Firm. Walsh’s case is now the second civil case filed against the Monahans. Kaylin Gillis’ father, Andrew Gillis, filed a civil lawsuit against the Monahans last year.
Walsh was among those who testified at Kevin Monahan’s three-week criminal case trial in January. He also gave a victim impact statement at Kevin Monahan’s sentencing.
The jury found Kevin Monahan guilty of all charges in the criminal trial after less than an hour of deliberation, and he was given the maximum sentence. He will serve 25 years to life for the murder of Kaylin Gillis and the other convictions for tampering with evidence and reckless endangerment. He will not be eligible for parole until 2049, when he is 92.