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First Posted: 3/10/2014

WILKES-BARRE — Luzerne County prosecutors want to use the domestic abuse history of Jessica Alinsky at her homicide trial for the killing of her boyfriend, Matthew Gailie, in 2011, according to a motion filed Monday.

Alinsky, 30, of Shenandoah, was charged with criminal homicide and tampering with evidence on July 31, less than a day after a coroner’s inquest found her responsible for Gailie’s death.

Alinsky maintained Gailie took his own life inside his residence on Muskegon Circle in the Eagle Rock Development, a gated resort community in Hazle Township, on Sept. 11, 2011. She allegedly told state police she was in his home on the second floor when she heard a pop and went downstairs to find Gailie on the floor.

Gailie, 34, died of a single gunshot wound to the face.

Prosecutors filed a motion Monday seeking to admit alleged incidents of domestic abuse between Alinsky and Gailie.

According to the motion, Alinsky and Gailie dated for two-and-a-half years prior to his death. During their relationship, the couple had numerous fights, including Alinsky throwing coffee and a bag of clothes at Gailie and throwing a DVD player that damaged his vehicle, prosecutors wrote in the motion.

Gailie, a state corrections officer, showed up at work with scratches on his body and told co-workers Alinsky threatened him with a knife, according to the motion.

State police at Hazleton said in the criminal complaint Alinsky called 911 at 11:47 p.m. Sept. 2, 2011 and reported Gailie shot himself in the head.

State police found Gailie lying on the living room floor with a gunshot wound under his left nostril and a 9mm semi-automatic handgun in his left hand with the tip of his index finger inside the trigger guard.

Blood spatter indicated Gailie’s head initially rested on the cushion that was soaked with blood as a large blood spatter pattern projected behind his head, the complaint says.

Alinsky allegedly told investigators four different versions of what took place.

Alinsky claimed she and Gailie were involved in an argument and she was upstairs when Gailie shot himself. Then she claimed she was in a downstairs bathroom when she heard a pop. She also told investigators she was in the living room when Gailie shot himself, and also claimed she tried to wrestle the gun away from Gailie, state police said in the complaint.

Prosecutors also are seeking to use Alinsky’s relationships with other men, including when she “bleached” a boyfriend’s vehicle during an argument.