Son pleads not guilty to murdering hedge-fund founder dad

NEW YORK - In the hours after his arrest, a man accused of killing his hedge-fund founder father over a cut in his allowance talked to police about his diet and exercise regimen but nothing to do with the death, according to court papers released Thursday.

Tommy Gilbert, 30, pleaded not guilty to murder and other charges Thursday, appearing briefly in Manhattan state Supreme Court in an oversized orange jumpsuit. Authorities say Gilbert shot his father on Jan. 4, then tried to make it appear the older man killed himself.

Gilbert's attorney, Alex Spiro, said during an argument objecting to photographers shooting images of his client that the case was largely circumstantial and did not have any witnesses.

"Because of the garb that they had him wearing, I think it's prejudicial to have his photo published," Spiro said.

He didn't comment further.

According to court documents, Gilbert, who is trim with blue eyes and blond hair, was asked in the hours after his arrest by a detective how he kept in such good shape. "A lot of it is diet and exercise," Gilbert said. Asked if he ran marathons, he said, "I'm not a distance runner."

But he didn't speak about his criminal case, asking only to speak with his attorney.

Authorities say the son went to his parents' tony home and asked his mother for a word alone with his dad, Thomas Gilbert Sr. She left to get her son some food, and when she returned to the apartment about 15 minutes later, she found her 70-year-old husband with a bullet wound in his head and a gun resting on his chest with his hand over it, police said.

Investigators concluded the scene was staged to look like a suicide.