A beloved Pennsylvania pediatrician who investigators say was allegedly strangled by her husband before he set their home on fire had told her mother she felt “drugged” in the weeks leading up to her death, according to a search warrant.
Dr. Julia Pederson, 41, of Harrisburg, had reportedly told her mother in a message sent about a month before the fatal Oct. 10 fire that she felt groggy and could barely walk. Her estranged husband, Jonathan Gatto, is accused of setting the house ablaze while the couple’s 7-year-old daughter was asleep inside, according to a warrant cited by PennLive.com.
Pederson also said she had been forced to cancel five patient appointments so she could rest, the outlet reported.
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She was scheduled to undergo bloodwork on Oct. 10 to investigate the unexplained symptoms. That was the same day she died.
A co-worker also told investigators that Pederson’s daughter regularly brought drinks to her mother at work, according to the warrant.
Pederson reportedly told the colleague she did not want the drinks, but said her husband allegedly made their daughter deliver them.
Gatto was charged last week with Pederson’s murder.
