Court Accepts Insanity Plea From Walmart Suspect; Criminal Case Over

A not guilty by reason of insanity (NGRI) plea from the Traverse City Walmart stabbing suspect, Bradford Gille, was accepted by the court Tuesday. The decision ends the criminal case and remits Gille to the Center for Forensic Psychiatry for treatment. Grand Traverse County Prosecuting Attorney Noelle Moeggenberg said it is "highly unlikely" he will be released given his crimes and a past NGRI plea.

Gille pled NGRI to one count of terrorism and 11 counts of attempted murder for his role in the July 2025 stabbing attack. He was scheduled for a preliminary exam Tuesday morning in 86th District Court in front of Judge Michael Stepka, but it was previously announced he planned to waive that hearing and submit the NGRI plea. 

"The court reviewed reports from the Center for Forensic Psychiatry and found that the defendant was mentally ill and due to that mental illness, unable to appreciate the wrongfulness of his conduct or to conform his conduct to the requirements of the law," Moeggenberg said in a statement. "This is the end of the criminal case."
 
Gille will be ordered to the Center for Forensic Psychiatry for treatment. "After 60 days, the defendant will be evaluated, and a petition will be filed with the Probate Court for continued mental health treatment," Moeggenberg wrote. "The NGRI Committee, which falls under the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, will oversee treatment and supervision of the individual. Release of the individual to a non-secure environment following treatment is highly unlikely given the gravity of his behavior and a prior NGRI plea in 2016."