Court Documents Reveal History of Violence

A Boston man accused of killing the mother of his three children in a South End luxury apartment entered a not guilty plea Wednesday in connection with the December death of Shantel Gillespie, 30.

Eric McPhail, 37, was ordered held without bail. Court documents show Gillespie died from suffocation and head trauma, with her body discovered December 12 at her Harrison Avenue residence.

The criminal complaint details surveillance footage showing McPhail entering Gillespie's apartment shortly before her on December 11. He briefly left after midnight before departing with their children the following morning. He returned at 9 a.m. for approximately 90 minutes, marking his final visit to the apartment. Gillespie was never seen leaving.

According to investigators, McPhail dropped the children at a Dorchester residence that evening, stating he was "going away for a long time." He allegedly abandoned Gillespie's car and debit card at a garage near Boston Children's Hospital, where she worked.

Court records reveal a history of domestic violence, with restraining orders issued against McPhail in 2021 and 2022.

Gillespie had recently completed nursing coursework at Labouré College of Healthcare. Boston Children's Hospital remembered her as "a valued and committed member of the team," expressing "deepest sympathies to her family."

Police urge anyone with information to call 617-343-4470 or anonymously contact CrimeStoppers at 1-800-494-TIPS or text "TIP" to 27463.