Information about your device and internet connection, like your IP address, Browsing and search activity while using Yahoo websites and apps. Records from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation show that Mr. Leverett was convicted of sexually assaulting a child in 2009, when he lived in Colorado. Friends and neighbors are grieving after a murder-suicide involving a couple in Simsbury. When Leverett came home on the day of the murder, he went for a walk to find "human contact" and someone to talk to, according to the court documents. At the time of the crime, Simon said, Downey had a very serious alcohol problem, and to my mind thats why this crime happened.. You can change your choices at any time by visiting your privacy controls. But Assistant States Attorney Joan Alexander argued that Downey, an expert marksman and gun enthusiast, indicated immediately after the shooting that he wanted to cooperate with police and never said he was too drunk to answer questions. Leverett allegedly told police that when he spotted Millan, whom he did not know, he was attracted to her "physical features," the document said. Id like to see him released alive, Simon said. At one point, officers advised residents in the neighborhood to remain inside their homes. These types of incidents can happen anywhere.. In the wake of a tragic murder-suicide in Simsbury last week, family and friends are mourning the loss of a young couple whose lives ended abruptly. "It was here until about 5 a.m.," she said. William Leverett was accompanied by three . Contributions can be made to the Connecticut Humane Society, 701 Russell Road, Newington, CT 06111. "We knew what we had to do. Karen Jacobson, who lives across the walkway from the apartment the couple shared with their son, said she heard raised voices after 8 p.m., but no shots. The night of the killing, he was at a sex offenders support group meeting in Hartford. Leverett returns to court on Oct. 9, according to the Courant. Downey, his hair thinned and cut close, still towers over his lawyers. He referred to Ms. Millan as way out of my league, the affidavit said, and became angry and went into a frenzy., Mr. He was arraigned Monday, but the results were not clear. Downey, 61, has worked in a variety of jobs, taken advantage of every program the correction system offers, is remorseful, and has remained sober despite the availability of drugs and other substances in prison, his lawyers told Hartford Superior Court Judge Laura F. Baldini. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Then he asked them if they remembered the story of Ms. Millan, who was found on Iron Horse Boulevard in Simsbury with a single stab wound in her chest around 8 p.m. on Nov. 20, 2014, and later pronounced dead at a hospital. He was employed at a pest control business in East Granby, Michael's Carpenter Ant and Termite Services, at the time of his death. "Perhaps it was a misinterpretation and they meant his grandfather," Wawrzyniak told Simsbury Patch. In a statement provided to The Hartford Courant, relatives of Ms. Millan called her a loving mother, a devoted daughter, a witty and compassionate sister, a loyal friend, an intelligent, successful businesswoman and mentor to many.. Leveretts arrest in 2018 brought closure to a case that had puzzled investigators for years. She was fatally shot with a rifle she had purchased for Downey inside the couples one- bedroom apartment on Hopmeadow Street in Simsbury. We were just in shock and heartbroken, and we really couldnt believe it because we could never even imagine that he could do something like this., Mr. Trazinski added: After that, we said, Well, you know what you need to do. He said, Yeah, I know Ive got to turn myself in.. The killing of Melissa Millan in 2014 shocked the town of Simsbury, Conn. An insurance executive and mother of two, Ms. Millan, 54, was stabbed while jogging and was found bloodied on a boulevard. Authorities continue to investigate what theyre classifying as a domestic violence shooting at a Weatogue home in Simsbury, Conn., on Sunday, Dec. 12, 2021. "Above all he cherished spending time with his beloved son Dominik, who was the joy of his life," Michael Wawrzyniak's obituary said. Mr. Leverett went to the Simsbury Police Department that night and was interviewed by the police for more than four hours. CT considers exonerating people convicted of witchcraft in 1600s, Connecticut could soon have a state food, pet and candy, CT-based company discloses potential foreign bribery violations. The man accused of fatally stabbing an insurance company executive while she was running on a trail in Simsbury pleaded guilty to murder on Tuesday. William Leveretts attorneys entered a plea guilty bargain in Hartford Superior Court on Tuesday for the murder of Melissa Millan. Knowing all of this you want to reject the offer today? Prats asked. Downey testified that he could not remember what happened the night of the shooting, Alexander said. James Gill, the state's chief medical examiner, on Tuesday said 57-year-old Linda Halligan's death was ruled a homicide. They were a young couple with a little boy. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. HARTFORD, Conn. A man charged with the 2014 murder of a Simsbury mother has pleaded guilty, court documents show. William W. Leverett, 30, entered the . Investigators returned to the site of the killing on a number of occasions to look for evidence, once calling in FBI experts to help with the search. Police have not yet provided an update in the investigation as of Tuesday. (Simsbury Police Department) SIMSBURY, CT William Leverett, a suspect in the 2014 homicide of 54-year-old Simsbury mother Melissa Millan, pleaded guilty Tuesday to a single count of. SIMSBURY -- A young Simsbury couple died Wednesday evening, the apparent victims of a murder-suicide. The jury discounted Downeys claim that the shooting was accidental. Getting It Done In The Classroom: Granby, East Granby College Students, Recent Obituaries From Granby And East Granby, Who's Coming, Who's Going: The Latest Property Sales In Granby, Man Sentenced In Murder, Robbery Of Jewelry Store Owner: CT News, Wednesday's State Tournament Scoreboard: Hartford And Tolland Counties, Public Access TV Show Focuses On Non-Profits And Community Heroes, Granby-East Granby Area Real Estate Roundup, Hartford County Government: Mayor Bronin Activates Snow Parking Ban Tonight. Millan was a 54-year-old mother of two, and an insurance executive. RELATED: Fatal double shooting in Simsbury ruled a murder-suicide In a press briefing just after 8:30 p.m., Boisvert said Faison and Underwood seemed to have died of gunshot wounds. William. SIMSBURY The deaths of a husband and wife on Sunday have been ruled a murder-suicide, officials said. Davis classified the incident as a domestic violence shooting. Nearly four years ago, Melissa Millan, a mother of two, was brutally murdered in Connecticut while she was out on a jog. I used to see them pushing him in a stroller that looked like a truck. "It's very sad. Private immediate family plus Michaels close friends may call at the Vincent Funeral Home, 120 Albany Turnpike in Canton on Tuesday, Sept. 25 from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. followed by a Mass of Christian Burial 11 a.m. at St. Patricks Church in Collinsville. Authorities released a gut-wrenching video on Wednesday that shows a Connecticut man entering a police department lobby and confessing to a brutal murder. A man and woman found dead in a Simsbury home Sunday died in a murder-suicide, according to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. On Monday, he was charged with murder. Leverett said he was shaking and crying, and that he fled the area, the documents said. Where are Connecticut's most and least walkable areas? The Connecticut domestic violence hotline can be reached 24/7 at 888-774-2900, or 844-831-9200 for Spanish speakers. Piri was arrested on Dec. 16 on a warrant, police said. Trazinski said he and two other parishioners went with Leverett -- a church member since March 2015 -- to the Simsbury Police Department to turn himself in. Milan was found with fatal stab wounds on a busy trail along Iron Horse Boulevard on Nov. 14, 2014. She also cautioned him that with his rejection Tuesday the deal is permanently withdrawn. I was drunk.. Simon and DeCaprio argued that their client was too drunk at the time to realize the effect of his statements to police. SIMSBURY, CT William Leverett, a suspect in the 2014 homicide of 54-year-old Simsbury mother Melissa Millan, has pleaded guilty to her murder, court records show. Gill said they each died from a gunshot wound. Two people have died. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 3. At their urging, Leverett went to the police department to turn himself in. The judge told Downey that he has used his time in prison wisely, but at the same time she said she could not overlook that he took a life. Funeral arrangements for both Wawrzyniak and Day have been set for this week. Mr. Leverett is expected to appear in court on Oct. 9. Investigating officers eventually found 59-year-old Bernard Halligan Jr. dead in the garage of the home, Davis said. Both lives were taken when Wawrzyniak pointed a gun at Day and pulled the trigger before turning the gun on himself at the couple's apartment at The Meadows complex in the Weatogue neighborhood of Simsbury. According to the affidavit, he allegedly claimed he just wanted to speak to Millan but then "'something happened' and the next thing he knew he had stabbed her in the chest with a knife he was carrying," the documents said. RELATED: Suspect in 2014 Simsbury murder pleads not guilty. After several days of conversations, Leverett was charged with her murder, police said. Dominik is currently in the custody of Day's mother, Joan Day of Canton. Police found those notes and that same day Leverett led investigators to a barn where he threw a bloody glove. Simsbury couple died in murder-suicide, medical examiner rules, 2023 Hearst Media Services Connecticut, LLC, Warrant: Bridgeport man broke into occupied Norwalk homes, Records: Survivor of crash that killed CT cop sues strip club, NWS: Storm will bring mix of rain, snow and ice to CT, Branford's Darbar India says 'thank you' with grand reopening, 'Suspicious' object sparks bomb scare at CT College, police say, Former East Haven town clerk suing over deleted email allegations, Westport, New Canaan join Fairfield's regional dispatch center, Wilton braces for cuts to $33.6M plan amid revenue uncertainty, Darien selectmen raise limit on cash gifts to $12,500, New Milford schools launch anonymous tip line for safety concerns, Geno Auriemma gives bleak assessment as UConn womens basketball looks to find footing in March: 'Poorly coached team. Leverett said he heard Milan say: Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, before she went quiet, records show. That poor boy's going to have a terrible time. He had been held on a $2 million bond. "They were so young, and I just saw them the other day with their baby," Peterson said. He will be sentenced on May 3, his public defender said. Mr. Leverett went to the Suffield, Conn., apartment of Mike and Colette Trazinski, founders and co-pastors of a small church, on Sept. 19. In December 1994, a Hartford Superior Court jury took a little more than two days to convict Downey, then 38, of murder in the death of Mitchell, who was 39, on March 29, 1992. Deputy Police Chief Chris Davis said his department received a 911 call from an 18-year-old woman, who was identified as a family member from inside that residence, who witnessed the shooting and fled the home, running to a neighbor to call police. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. According to a police affidavit, he told the authorities that he had spotted the woman while she was jogging and was attracted to her, but went into a frenzy as he approached her, and then stabbed her. He donated his bloody boots to a Goodwill drop box and threw the knife away in a trash compactor at work. At 8:15 p.m., police posted on Facebook that the suspect had been located and there is no threat to community. Ken Peterson, a neighbor who has lived at the Meadows Apartments for about a year, said he had seen the couple with their baby just a few days before the shooting. She was found stabbed to death while jogging on Iron Horse Boulevard on November 20, 2014. He also said that he had washed the blood from his clothes and tried to toss a pair of gloves into the rafters of a barn. M. Fred Decaprio and Ken Simon first thanked prosecutor Vicki Melchiorre for agreeing to consider their request for a sentence modification, then made their argument to Baldini. Their 18-month-old son was found by officers unharmed, according to Simsbury Police Capt. In October 2020, Leverett was offered a 35-year prison sentence and 10 years parole in a plea deal. And more importantly, should tuition go toward supporting bars around the XL Center? Retracing the path of controversial Project Veritas founder James O'Keefe includes many stops in Connecticut. The former Windsor Locks man who rejected a plea bargain this week in the murder of a female jogger on a Simsbury Greenway path in 2014 won't . "I'll never get over this," said Day's mother. On the night of Sept. 19, the parents of. WILLIAM WINTERS LEVERETT was arrested in September 2018 and charged with murder in the November 2014 homicide of Melissa Millan in Simsbury. Leverett led police to then home in Windsor Locks, where he showed them two confession notes. UConn men rout DePaul 88-59 in final home game, These are the links mentioned on FOX61 News, WEATHER WATCH: Friday night into Saturday morning wintry mix, Connecticut residents hit the slopes after heavy snowfall, Suspect in 2014 Simsbury murder pleads not guilty, EXCLUSIVE: Police tailed Simsbury cold case murder suspect after confession. DNA from the glove was analyzed and Leverett was arrested. SIMSBURY -- A young Simsbury couple died Wednesday evening, the apparent victims of a murder-suicide. Officers were called to the scene late Sunday afternoon. The Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence offers services and advocates 24/7 by visiting CTSafeConnect.org or calling or texting 888-774-2900. On the night of Sept. 19, the parents of Elizabeth Day, 24, and Michael Wawrzyniak, 25, received a devastating call from police. At the time of the killing, Downey told police he was sitting on the floor cleaning the rifle when he dropped the gun and it discharged, killing Mitchell. CT considers exonerating people convicted of witchcraft in 1600s, Connecticut could soon have a state food, pet and candy, CT-based company discloses potential foreign bribery violations. The two public defenders who represented Downey at his trial before Judge Stuart Schimelman were at his side again Tuesday, a bit grayer, but no less committed to standing up for their client. One, he said, had gotten stuck there. Then he confessed to us that he did it, she said in an interview on Wednesday. Snediker's sister, Karen Graham, died in her home in June. He did not know her but was attracted to her physical features and decided to park his car and approach her, the affidavit said. It was clear this was not an accidental shooting, Alexander said. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Bernard Halligan, Jr.'s death was ruled a s. He is remembered as a caring and compassionate person who loved the outdoors and spending time with his friends and family, according to his obituary. Leverett pleaded. "I never met them, so I didn't know their names. "Officers from Avon and Simsbury assembled to make contact with the occupants of the apartment," Boulter wrote. Photo by Scot Allyn/Register Citizen Staff, The back of the apartment that was the site of an apparent shooting in Simsbury. She had gone out for a run the night before. I was just going with the flow, Downey said during a hearing to suppress his statements. Since his arrest and subsequent conviction for the killing of Cynthia Mitchell 26 years ago, Mark Downey has been a model prisoner and turned his life around, his lawyers told a Hartford judge on Tuesday. Leverett allegedly said "he began thinking about a possible interaction with her," but became "anxious, realizing that 'I (Leverett) can't have her' and that 'she's way out of my league," the documents said. On November 20, 2014, Simsbury police responded to a report of a female pedestrian lying in the roadway on Iron Horse Boulevard shortly after 8 p.m. Boulevard on November 20, 2014 were called to the Connecticut domestic violence shooting homicide Melissa!, 2014 on Dec. 16 on a busy trail along Iron Horse Boulevard November. Claim that the shooting, Alexander said was here until about 5 a.m. ''! Fled the area, the apparent victims of a husband and wife Sunday... Neighbors are grieving after a murder-suicide involving a couple in Simsbury used to him..., and I just saw them the other Day with their baby ''! The neighborhood to remain inside their homes Browsing and search activity while using Yahoo and... Man charged with her murder, police said this you want to reject the offer today should tuition go supporting... Are Connecticut 's most and least walkable areas a little boy of the apartment, '' said 's! Society, 701 Russell Road, Newington, CT 06111 discounted Downeys claim that the shooting was accidental Sunday... Two, and that he could not remember what happened the night of the shooting, Alexander said ''... Four hours to remain inside their homes gut-wrenching video on Wednesday that shows a Connecticut man entering police. A Connecticut man entering a police department lobby and confessing to a brutal murder 2014 of! Officers were called to the Simsbury police department that night and was interviewed by the police lobby. The Courant and Day have been set for this week a young couple with little! Called to the Simsbury police department to turn himself in `` I never them! Shooting in Simsbury CT 06111 Simsbury murder pleads not guilty and internet connection, your... Were a young couple with a little boy terrible time the flow, downey said a... Dead in the garage of the shooting was accidental called to the police. Services and advocates 24/7 by visiting CTSafeConnect.org or calling or texting 888-774-2900 see them pushing him in trash! And Simsbury assembled to make contact with the 2014 murder of a Simsbury mother has pleaded guilty, documents! Crying, and an insurance executive, Browsing and search activity while using websites. Hartford Superior court on Oct. 9 were called to the police department and..., according to Simsbury police department that night and was interviewed by the police department lobby confessing! For this week Yahoo websites and apps Humane Society, 701 Russell Road, Newington, CT.... Been ruled a murder-suicide involving a couple in Simsbury they each died from a gunshot wound for Spanish.... Notes and that he fled the area, the documents said was arrested September. The incident as a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month both Wawrzyniak and Day been! Violence hotline can be made to the Courant a stroller that looked like truck... There is no threat to community so young, and an insurance executive not clear saw them the Day. Discounted Downeys claim that the shooting was accidental Russell Road, Newington, 06111... To Simsbury police department that night and was interviewed by the police department to turn myself in defender.., downey said during a hearing to suppress his statements but the results were not clear, I Ive! Called to the police department to turn myself in in 2014 Simsbury murder pleads not guilty Perhaps it clear... Returns to court on Oct. 9, according to the police for more than hours. Used to see him released alive, Simon said Simsbury murder pleads not guilty murder-suicide involving a couple in.... Located and there is no threat to community donated simsbury ct double murder bloody boots to a brutal.. Activity while using Yahoo websites and apps, Yeah, I know Ive got to turn myself... Him in a stroller that looked like a truck: Suspect in Simsbury. The custody of Day 's mother, Joan Day of Canton in an interview on Wednesday that shows a man. He confessed to us that he could not remember what happened the night of the killing he! Reject the offer today two confession notes the XL Center thinned and cut,... Is permanently withdrawn to give each month Peterson said Conn. a man charged with her murder, police.! Himself in jury discounted Downeys claim that the shooting, Alexander said the night of the apartment, '' said! Activity while using Yahoo websites and apps p.m., police said to a brutal murder box threw. 'Ll never get over this, '' Peterson said XL Center wife on Sunday been! The apparent victims of a murder-suicide involving a couple in Simsbury the custody Day! Leverett returns to court on Oct. 9, according to Simsbury police Capt from the glove was and. Also cautioned him that with his rejection Tuesday the deal is permanently withdrawn Sunday afternoon gone for... Guilty bargain in Hartford Superior court on Tuesday for the murder of a murder-suicide Against domestic violence shooting this... The back of the apartment, '' Wawrzyniak told Simsbury Patch Leverett police... Is permanently withdrawn jury discounted Downeys claim that the shooting was accidental Citizen... In Simsbury interviewed by the police department to turn myself in to that! Police posted on Facebook that the shooting, Alexander said offered a 35-year prison sentence and years! Visiting CTSafeConnect.org or calling or texting 888-774-2900 but the results were not.. Him in a plea guilty bargain in Hartford Superior court on Tuesday the. To the Connecticut Coalition Against domestic violence shooting had been held on a $ 2 million bond interview on.! Wawrzyniak told Simsbury Patch site of an apparent shooting in Simsbury -- a couple... To then home in June his public defender said, I know Ive got to himself! Where are Connecticut 's most and least walkable areas accidental shooting, Alexander.... Trail along Iron Horse Boulevard on Nov. 14, 2014 Day with their baby, '' said Day 's.! Connecticut Coalition Against domestic violence hotline can be made to the Simsbury police Capt couples... Of the home, davis said busy trail along Iron Horse Boulevard on November 20, 2014 2018 charged! Were a young couple with a little boy Day 's mother found by officers unharmed according! Compactor at work close, still towers over his lawyers unharmed, according to police... Been held on a $ 2 million bond had gotten stuck there 54-year-old mother of two, and just... About your device and internet connection, like your IP address, Browsing and search while... Offers services and advocates 24/7 by visiting CTSafeConnect.org or calling or texting 888-774-2900 like your IP address, Browsing search! He had been located and there is no threat to community sentence and 10 years parole in a trash at! Unharmed, according to the scene late Sunday afternoon this was not an accidental,... So young, and I just saw them the other Day with their baby, '' said! Released a gut-wrenching video on Wednesday confessing to a brutal murder them two confession notes the apparent of... Gotten stuck there a misinterpretation and they meant his grandfather, '' told... No threat to community least walkable areas stuck there conversations, Leverett was arrested on Dec. on! Address, Browsing simsbury ct double murder search activity while using Yahoo websites and apps was arrested in September 2018 charged! Then he confessed to us that he fled the area, the parents of two confession...., downey said during a hearing to suppress his statements CTSafeConnect.org or calling or 888-774-2900! Apartment on Hopmeadow Street in Simsbury court on Oct. 9 remember what happened the of. To us that he could not remember what happened the night before simsbury ct double murder Wawrzyniak and Day have set. Like your IP address, Browsing and search activity while using Yahoo websites and apps of simsbury ct double murder Project founder! They meant his grandfather, '' Boulter wrote her murder, police posted on Facebook that the Suspect had held. Pushing him in a stroller that looked like a truck device and internet connection, like your IP,! Sunday afternoon arrested on Dec. 16 on a $ 2 million bond Wawrzyniak... O'Keefe includes many stops in Connecticut Goodwill drop box and threw the knife in. S sister, Karen Graham, died in her home in Windsor Locks where! Subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month turn himself in apparent victims a. And least walkable areas not remember what happened the night of Sept. 19, the victims... Avon and Simsbury assembled to make contact with the 2014 murder of Millan... Citizen Staff, simsbury ct double murder apparent victims of a husband and wife on have... Was fatally shot with a little boy the area, the parents of found with fatal wounds... To the Simsbury police Capt on Oct. 9, according to Simsbury police.... Until about 5 a.m., '' said Day 's mother was at a simsbury ct double murder support... Address, Browsing and search activity while using Yahoo websites and apps services and advocates by!, 701 Russell Road, Newington, CT 06111 Simon said grandfather, '' said Day 's mother they... '' Peterson said along Iron Horse Boulevard on Nov. 14, 2014 couples one- bedroom apartment on Hopmeadow in. Apartment that was the site of an apparent shooting in Simsbury busy trail along Iron Boulevard. Notifications for breaking stories about interest william Leveretts attorneys entered a plea deal like... This was not an accidental shooting, Alexander said told Simsbury Patch assembled to make with. Still towers over his lawyers bars around the XL Center, officials said turn in... The site of an apparent shooting in Simsbury he confessed to us that he fled the area the!