Her son with Wawrzyniak is staying with Day's parents. Retracing the path of controversial Project Veritas founder James O'Keefe includes many stops in Connecticut. On Monday, he was charged with murder. Jacobson wondered about the toddler's future. Mr. Leverett said he was driving when he saw a woman jogging. It was clear this was not an accidental shooting, Alexander said. SIMSBURY -- A young Simsbury couple died Wednesday evening, the apparent victims of a murder-suicide. 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. Exclusive: Simsbury Police release new details in murder of MassMutual executive | fox61.com. "I'll never get over this," said Day's mother. At 8:15 p.m., police posted on Facebook that the suspect had. Leverett was ordered held on $2 million bond at his initial appearance Monday in Enfield Superior Court on a murder charge in the November 2014 death of 54-year-old Melissa Millan, a senior vice . Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. Email us atnewsteam@fox61.com. At one point, officers advised residents in the neighborhood to remain inside their homes. This is a carousel. A man charged with the 2014 murder of a Simsbury mother has pleaded guilty, court documents show. Scot Allyn can be reached by e-mail at sallyn@registercitizen.com or by phone at 860-489-3121, Ext. At 8:15 p.m., police posted on Facebook that the suspect had been located and there is no threat to community. Mr. Leverett went to the Simsbury Police Department that night and was interviewed by the police for more than four hours. William Leverett's attorneys entered a plea guilty bargain in Hartford Superior Court on. Simsbury police investigating a shooting in, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Welcome to the new courant.com: Whats changed, FAQs and more, Simsbury police investigating a shooting in Weatogue, CT continues to prosecute some marijuana cases despite legalization, Madina Academy raises funds for Turkey, Syria earthquake relief, CT still borrowing to pay off debt, but some are pushing back, $122 million spending plan proposed for Simsbury, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Friends and neighbors are grieving after a murder-suicide involving a couple in Simsbury. Leverett saw Millan on the running path and said he was immediately attracted to her physical features, according to the arrest warrant application. Very helpful. Two people have died. Double-murder suicide in CT: PD/ Woman helps fuel restaurant biz/ Fire destroys garage/ $220K embezzlement case/ Bank access restricted. It was especially hard for them to hear that someone they knew could do this, Ms. Trazinski said. "I'm here to turn myself in for the murder on Iron Horse Boulevard almost 4 years ago," he allegedly told police, according to the arrest warrant affidavit. Although he left the police station that night, police said they monitored Leverett from the time he initially confessed until his arrest on September 23. Mr. Leverett said that Ms. Millan fell onto the road and that he thought he heard her say, Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, before he drove off in his car, according to the affidavit. 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. "She will be forever loved and missed," the obituary said. Leverett will be sentenced on May 3. At their urging, Leverett went to the police department to turn himself in. Milan pushed Leverett away, forcing the knife out of her chest as Leverett clutched the weapon. 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. That poor boy's going to have a terrible time. Leverett told police he did not know Millan and had never seen her prior to the moment she jogged by him. William Leverett, a convicted sex offender,. The calls were made through the CT Alert system. Day leaves behind her parents Jimmy and Joanie (Anasoulis) Day, of Canton, her brother, Jim and her sister, Stephanie. The night of the killing, he was at a sex offenders support group meeting in Hartford. Leveretts confession to authorities came after he confided in a small group from his Windsor Locks church that he had slain the woman in 2014. Doug Stewart is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. "They were unable to make contact with any occupants, but they heard the sound of a crying baby inside.". At the time of the crime, Simon said, Downey had a very serious alcohol problem, and to my mind thats why this crime happened.. (Kassi Jackson / Hartford Courant) SIMSBURY . In the 911 call, Day was telling the dispatcher her boyfriend was holding a gun at her, threatening to shoot her and himself, according to a press release. Tests showed it contained Milans DNA. Ms. Trazinski told Mr. Leverett that she remembered hearing reports of the crime. Authorities released a gut-wrenching video on Wednesday that shows a Connecticut man entering a police department lobby and confessing to a brutal murder. Davis said responding officers found Linda Halligan and carried her to an ambulance and rushed to St. Francis Hospital, where she died. Leverett pleaded. Downey testified that he could not remember what happened the night of the shooting, Alexander said. Gill said they each died from a gunshot wound. One, he said, had gotten stuck there. He did not know her but was attracted to her physical features and decided to park his car and approach her, the affidavit said. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. 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. a Hartford Superior Court jury took a little more than two days to convict Downey . Dominik is currently in the custody of Day's mother, Joan Day of Canton. Nicholas Rondinone can be reached at nrondinone@courant.com. We, Yahoo, are part of the Yahoo family of brands. According to the affidavit, Mr. Leverett told the police that when he came home from the therapy group, nobody was there, not even the dog, and he was lonely.. In an interview with investigators, Leverett said he went to the trail that night looking for human contact after attending a meeting for sex offenders in Hartford. William. 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. Piri, who now lives in Naples, Florida, is charged with second-degree murder in connection with the Nov. 1, 2019 fatal shooting, Vermont State Police said. He was arraigned Monday, but the results were not clear. Leverett, 27, of Windsor Locks, who is a registered sex offender, was charged with one count of murder. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. He came home, felt lonely, went for a drive, spotted Millan jogging and said he got mentally aroused by her physical features before realizing she was, way out of my league., He got angry purposely ran into Millan took out a knife and plunged it into her chest as Millan fell back saying Oh my God.. Little was said publicly about the killing in the years after Milans death, but police and town officials had once offered a $40,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the killer. 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. 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. The evidence also showed that there was no possibility of ricochet and that the gun was fired about a foot away from Mitchell. 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. 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 Winters Leverett, 29, has been incarcerated on $2 million bail since his arrest in 2018 for murder. William Leveretts attorneys entered a plea guilty bargain in Hartford Superior Court on Tuesday for the murder of Melissa Millan. Find out more about how we use your information in our privacy policy and cookie policy. A Confession Came Four Years Later. "It's such a shame," she said. She was found stabbed to death while jogging on Iron Horse Boulevard on November 20, 2014. It was the nature of the injury and the nature of the weapon involved.. Anyone with information is asked to call detectives at 860-658-3145. He appeared before Superior Court Judge Shelia M. Prats via a video link from the MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution in Suffield. 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. Leverett previously pleaded not guilty in connection with Millan's death in 2018. We never would have expected this.". Leverett said he approached Milan around 8 p.m. in a darkened part of the trail, under a broken street light, and stabbed her in the chest, according to arrest records. The arrest and arraignment of the suspect brings renewed grief, heartache and the knowledge that justice can never be served for the senseless act that robbed us of Melissas beautiful presence, it said. Simsbury police are investigating a shooting on Woodleigh Place in Weatogue. The first Simsbury Police officer arrived at the apartment within 30 seconds of being dispatched. 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. Simsbury apparent murder-suicide kills 2, police investigating, Serious crash closes CT stretch of I-95 South, state police say, Suspect in 2021 fatal shooting arrested, Hamden police say, Police tape blocks off the door of an apparent shooting in Canton. Beth Day and Michael Wawrzyniak, who lived at the Meadows Apartments, 71 Hopmeadow St . 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. 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. He has health problems, including a condition that thickens his blood and makes him more susceptible to strokes, and heart disease. Leverett said he was shaking and crying, and that he fled the area, the documents said. Bernard Halligan, Jr.'s death was ruled a s. 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. Simsbury's last shooting fatality was in 2001, according to Boulter. The manner of death for her husband, 59-year-old Bernard Halligan Jr., was ruled a suicide. Leverett rejected the deal during a court hearing. Simsbury police are investigating a shooting on Woodleigh Place in Weatogue. Tara O'Neill was formerly a breaking news reporter with Hearst Connecticut Media Group. To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com. The Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled Linda Halligan's death a homicide from gunshot wounds. Yes, I do, your honor, Leverett responded. Leverett claimed that he only wanted a chance to speak with her, it continued, but that something happened and the next thing he knew he had stabbed her in the chest with a knife he was carrying.. But I never heard them fight.". After several days of conversations, Leverett was charged with her murder, police said. He referred to Ms. Millan as way out of my league, the affidavit said, and became angry and went into a frenzy., Mr. And more importantly, should tuition go toward supporting bars around the XL Center? He went to walk along the path near Iron Horse Boulevard in hopes of finding someone to talk with. William Leverett will be sentenced to prison in May for the death of Melissa Millan. According to the arrest warrant affidavit, which was posted online by Fox 61, a local news outlet, Mr. Leverett told the police that on the night of the murder, he had come from a sex offenders therapy group. Co-workers at Day's job remember her as friendly and a good worker. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 3. RELATED: Suspect in 2014 Simsbury murder pleads not guilty. 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 . He stated that he wanted to go for a walk along the path near Iron Horse Boulevard in hopes of finding someone to talk with, the affidavit continued. Wendell Taylor officiating. William W. Leverett, 30, entered the . I was in shock. MURDER KILLER: William W. Leverett, now 30, formerly of Windsor Locks VICTIM: Melissa J. Millan, 54, of Simsbury, a senior vice president of MassMutual WHERE AND WHEN: Evening of Nov. 20, 2014. "I was sitting in my living room, watching baseball on television, when I heard the voices," she said. We want to hear from you! 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. I never heard him cry.". Melchiorre told the judge that a three-year sentence reduction was appropriate, given Downeys efforts to better himself in prison and the fact the conviction for murder was his first crime. He can be reached atdstewart@fox61.com. . He did not go to jail but was placed on probation and the sex offender registry, the Courant said. WILLIAM WINTERS LEVERETT was arrested in September 2018 and charged with murder in the November 2014 homicide of Melissa Millan in Simsbury. The manner of death for her husband, 59-year-old Bernard Halligan Jr., was ruled a suicide. I think my hands were shaking at this point. After confessing to the crime, he led investigators to a bloody glove hidden behind a wall on his grandparents Simsbury property, records show. Officers were called to the scene late Sunday afternoon. He then allegedly went back and got the knife a few days later and threw it out in a trash compactor. 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. HARTFORD A former Windsor Locks, Connecticut, man pleaded guilty this week to murdering a MassMutual executive who was jogging on a Simsbury trail in 2014. A former Windsor Locks man pleaded guilty this week to murdering a female jogger on a Simsbury Greenway path in 2014 and faces a likely sentence of 35 years in prison, a prosecutor says. Beth Day and Michael Wawrzyniak, who lived at the Meadows Apartments, 71 Hopmeadow St., were found by Simsbury Police, shot to death in their home Wednesday, Sept. 19 at 8:25 p.m., moments after a dispatcher heard gunshots during a 911 call from Day. They were a young couple with a little boy. "Above all he cherished spending time with his beloved son Dominik, who was the joy of his life," Michael Wawrzyniak's obituary said. The Connecticut domestic violence hotline can be reached 24/7 at 888-774-2900, or 844-831-9200 for Spanish speakers. Investigating officers eventually found 59-year-old Bernard Halligan Jr. dead in the garage of the home, Davis said. . DNA from the glove was analyzed and Leverett was arrested. Police are still investigating the incidents that led up to the fatal double shooting that night. Her manager at the store, Bob Kyser, said she was "really well loved.". William Leverett was accompanied by three . Information about your device and internet connection, like your IP address, Browsing and search activity while using Yahoo websites and apps. Photo by Scot Allyn/Register Citizen Staff, The back of the apartment that was the site of an apparent shooting in Simsbury. CT 06045 Phone: 800-237-3606 Email: service@ . Christopher Keating is a reporter for the Hartford Courant. Last week, investigators found Mr. Leveretts handwritten letters from 2014 which referred to a serious crime, but not a murder specifically and the glove in the barn, which was entered as evidence, the authorities said. Leverett allegedly told police that when he spotted Millan, whom he did not know, he was attracted to her "physical features," the document said. William Winters Leverett, left, appeared in court on Monday during his arraignment for the 2014 killing of Melissa Millan in Simsbury, Conn. Got the knife a few days later and threw it out in a trash compactor CT Alert system with! 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