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Paul Gardella, Belinda’s ex-husband, initially told investigators she was killed after two people approached their vehicle while they were stopped at an intersection, attempted to steal her purse, and stabbed her in the chest during a robbery. That account has shifted over time. At the time, there were no surveillance cameras, no DNA evidence, and no witnesses to corroborate what happened at the intersection.

Gardella’s children say they want their father arrested, alleging he abused their mother and all of them for most of their lives. They told the show they grew up in constant fear, describing repeated beatings of both their mother and themselves. Paul, however, has consistently maintained his innocence in the slaying and was never arrested or charged in connection with any domestic violence allegations.

Motive.

Investigators believe the ex-husband had three overlapping motives for wanting Belinda dead, all coming to a head on the day she was killed: she refused to drop felony assault charges against her ex- husband stemming from a previous violent knife attack just months earlier, with a court date looming; she refused to sign paperwork allowing him to refinance or leverage the family home, their primary financial asset; and she refused to reconcile and resume the abusive relationship.

Belinda’s son, Ron Gardella, also told Michigan News Source that his father stood to gain financially after Belinda’s death. Despite the couple being divorced, Ron alleged that Paul Gardella ended up with the marital home free and clear, a property valued at approximately $65,000. Ron said all six children were asked to sign documents related to the home and to settle his mom’s estate, but that effectively transferred full ownership to Paul. Ron also said he heard that his father received a life-insurance payout connected to his union employment.

Oakland County: a fresh look but the same result.

Here’s where geography means everything. The stabbing may have occurred in Wayne County, but Belinda Gardella was pronounced dead at a hospital in Oakland County – which meant Oakland prosecutors could prosecute the case. Cold Justice’s Kelly Siegler pushed Redford Township investigators to pursue that path, and they did. Oakland County’s response? Thanks, but no thanks. So in October, both counties officially passed on the case. Different jurisdictions. Same refusal. Same result: no charges, no trial, and no accountability.

Justice by jurisdiction roulette.

What Cold Justice makes painfully clear is something most people never think about: sometimes the most important decision in a murder case often isn’t made by a jury – it’s made long before, by a prosecutor deciding whether to proceed at all. Police investigate. Detectives work and sometimes rework evidence. Families wait. But if prosecutors decline, the case simply… stops. No trial. No defense. No jury. No public reckoning.

A system that shrugs.

By the end of the episode, Siegler was blunt with the family, telling them there was nothing more law enforcement could do. The case, she said, has been ready for years; the only thing missing is prosecutorial will – and that appears to be nonexistent. As a result, Gardella’s six children are left waiting for something that may never come: accountability and a trial, unless new evidence or a confession emerges. After more than four decades of waiting for their mother to get a day in court, Belinda’s son Ron summed it up on Cold Justice: “Justice for my mom, that’s all I’m asking for.”

A family’s fight for justice.

Michigan News Source reached out to Ron, Belinda’s youngest son and a fervent advocate for justice for his mom. For more than four decades, Ron and the rest of Belinda’s family have pushed for accountability, only to watch the case stall again and again. Ron says investigators and prosecutors have acknowledged they believe his father killed his mom – but they say the evidence falls short of what is needed for a conviction.

Cold Justice finds red flags – prosecutors still walk away.

The family’s frustration has only intensified after appearing on Cold Justice, where investigators agreed the evidence points to Paul’s involvement in the homicide, yet prosecutors have still declined to move the case forward. According to Ron, key facts haven’t been pursued – including Paul’s domestic violence history, alleged threats, and forensic inconsistencies. “The blood of my mom’s clothes was already dry,” Ron said, pointing to the conclusion that his mom was killed long before the timeline suggests. He added that police and prosecutors had access to documents for years that they never reviewed, including divorce records and financial motives. “They didn’t even know that my mom and father were divorced,” Ron said.

Regardless of the status of the case, Ron and his family continue to push for justice for their mom. Ron has spent thousands of dollars on investigators, filed countless records requests, and contacted state officials, media outlets, podcasters and prosecutors across multiple counties. Still, he says, no one will take responsibility even though evidence points to a clear suspect. Ron told Michigan News Source, “I’m guessing my father did it, but can I prove it? No. Does the show prove it? I think it does pretty good.”