There was enough evidence to keep man in jail

A committee reviewing the case of a Berlin man who shot and killed his wife before killing himself in July has found that there was sufficient evidence to keep him in custody months before.

The Internal Review Committee was tasked with reviewing the decision to release Michael Gleason on $5,000 bail after he was charged with aggravated felonious sexual assault, kidnapping and theft in April.

On July 6, Gleason shot and killed his wife, Marisol Fuentes, at La Casita Restaurant in Berlin before killing himself.

In a report released Monday, the committee said that based on the facts known or available at the time, there was sufficient evidence to hold Gleason in preventive detention. The committee also found that facts that later came to light further indicated the potential for more violence.

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The committee found that there were several indications that Gleason was a danger when the magistrate made the decision to grant bail. The violent nature of the charges, Fuentes reporting that she was “petrified of what would happen to her” and the fact that a protective order had been issued all indicated that Gleason was a danger, the report states.

More information came to light after the bail hearing, including reports that Gleason had firearms in his possession and the filing of a stalking petition against Gleason by a minor who claimed he repeatedly sexually assaulted her.

>> Timeline: Events leading up to Berlin murder-suicide, its aftermath

The report also highlighted the problem of victims having inadequate legal representation. The committee found that Fuentes wasn’t represented by counsel until the first hearing in the domestic violence proceeding, which took place a month after she filed her domestic violence petition.

“During that month, Fuentes filed several motions, including a motion for return of property and motions for contempt,” the report states. “Although Fuentes prevailed in part on her motion for return of property, approximately a month later when she acquired counsel, Gleason still had not complied with the order.”

The committee said it’s common for plaintiffs in civil domestic violence and stalking cases to not have representation. In 2024, just 16% of plaintiffs in domestic violence cases and 5% of plaintiffs in stalking cases were represented by an attorney, according to the report.

A call for better access to counsel for victims was one of five recommendations in the report. The committee also recommended that court staff and judicial officers should be trained about bail determinations in domestic violence cases. The committee noted that when dealing with issues of intimate partner violence, the court isn’t constrained by the legal definitions of abuse but must also consider the question of the defendant’s dangerousness.

The committee also recommended training for attorneys, victim advocates and police departments about how to appeal bail decisions or get bail revoked.

>> Link: Read full report

Another recommendation is to consider revisions to the forms used in such cases, citing one form that was unclear as to whether any weapons of Gleason’s had been seized even after four court orders to that effect.

The final recommendation was to explore changes to how information is shared throughout the judicial system. The committee said it’s possible that a judge presiding over a case might not have easy access to orders and pleadings in other matters involving the same people.

In this case, it’s unclear whether the judge had a copy of the order of protection Fuentes obtained or related pleadings. The panel said the circuit court’s case management system, Odyssey, doesn’t easily provide access to related cases or documents.

The Berlin Police Department is also doing its own review. Officials said the department receive a call to check on Gleason two days before the murder-suicide.