Rapides judge denies Kayla Giles' request for destruction of gun used to kill husband

Kayla Giles has asked the 9th Judicial District Court for property belonging to her to be returned, as well as for the destruction of the gun used to kill her estranged husband in 2018.

Judge Greg Beard denied her motion, calling it premature.

Beard also denied a previous motion from Giles for the transcript from her January trial in which she was found guilty of second-degree murder and obstruction of justice in the Sept. 8, 2018 death of Thomas Coutee Jr.

She is scheduled to be sentenced on March 28.

Giles filed both motions on her own.

Verdict: Kayla Giles found guilty of 2nd-degree murder, obstruction of justice

On Feb. 11, she filed a motion seeking the trial transcript. On Feb. 24, she filed a motion for the release of her property, or the monetary equivalent, and the destruction of the Ruger LCP .380 pistol used to kill Coutee.

The motion also sought the destruction of the box for the pistol and its contents, as well as the gun's holster.

Giles asked for the return of:

• Her iPhone

• Macbook Pro laptop and bag

• USB drives

• External hard drive

• Voice recorder

• Wedding ring set and box

• Wallet and all contents

• Binder containing personal documents

• Personal defense ammunition

• 2015 Dodge Durango

Day 1 trial: State says Kayla Giles is 'cold, calculating,' but defense says she was protecting herself

Day 2 trial: Kayla Giles' defense requests, fails to get mistrial after gun purchase evidence

Day 3 trial: Jurors in Kayla Giles' 2nd-degree murder trial view heated interview with detective

Day 4 trial: Forensic pathologist testifies Thomas Coutee Jr. died from single gunshot wound

Closing arguments: 'Cold, calculating, manipulative, evil': Kayla Giles jurors hear closing arguments

Giles also has filed responses to Delta Defense LLC's and United Specialty Insurance Company's (USIC) motions for summary judgement in the federal lawsuit she filed over nonpayment on the self-defense insurance policy she purchased when she bought the gun at a Dallas store 12 days before the shooting.

The response to the USIC motion, filed by attorney Rocky Willson, repeats some of what he and attorney George Higgins III argued during her trial — that she shot Coutee "almost immediately at the scene," that she shot Coutee from inside the Durango as he opened the door because she feared for her safety and that all three of her daughters already were in Coutee's truck when she fired.

"She did not testify and continues to maintain her innocence," reads both responses.

But USIC's response, filed on Feb. 25, states Giles didn't actually dispute any of the facts in its motion, "but oddly reargues the statutory basis of the plaintiff’s defense to the underlying criminal lawsuit — which she has lost."

It states Giles has failed to prove she deserves to be reimbursed for her criminal defense costs under the terms of the policy.

An April 29 status conference has been set in another federal lawsuit Giles filed against her insurance company because it did not pay after a fire at her Pineville home that she shared with Coutee.

The fire, ruled an arson, remains under investigation by the Louisiana State Fire Marshal's Office.

This article originally appeared on Alexandria Town Talk: Rapides judge calls Kayla Giles' requests for property, gun destruction premature