MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — A preliminary hearing for a Gerrardstown woman who allegedly shot her two daughters, killing the youngest one, will be rescheduled after being postponed late Wednesday.
Julie Orellana, 46, who is charged with murder, was scheduled to appear before a Berkeley County magistrate Thursday morning but waived her right to have a hearing within 10 days of her arrest. The hearing will now be rescheduled in 10-20 days which will give the public defender more time to go over the details of the incident.
Court records show Orellana asked her daughters, 11 year-old Olivia and 8 year-old Eliza, to find kittens under an bed upstairs. She then fired a gun at both of them.
“Olivia Orellana stated she escaped the bedroom and leapt out an adjacent bedroom window to get help. During the intitial investigation it was discovered that Julie Orellana left the scene in a white Honda SUV, which was found abandoned on Cashew Lane. A search was conducted of 291 Tall Pine Lane where Eliza Orellana was discovered deceased on the living room floor from multiple stab wounds and gunshot wounds to the chest, abdomen, neck and back.” -Sgt. W.R. Garrett, WV State Police
Olivia survived the attack but suffered a wound to her leg. Eliza was found by state police with gunshot wounds and stab wounds to the chest. Orellana was found later with a steak knife, 9 mm pistol, and a six page letter containing the details of her plan.
Orellana was charged with first degree murder and attempted murder in the first degree. When the preliminary hearing does happen, a magistrate will decide if there’s enough evidence again Orellana to forward the case to a grand jury for possible indictment.
A GoFundMe account has been set up to help the girls’ family. The account reads her father was working as a Fairfax County, Virginia police officer at the time of the alleged crime.
Elias McMillan contributed to this story