Authorities released a gut-wrenching video on Wednesday that shows a Connecticut man entering a police department lobby and confessing to a brutal murder. To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com. Co-workers at Day's job remember her as friendly and a good worker. FOLLOW US ONTWITTER,FACEBOOK&INSTAGRAM, Example video title will go here for this video. The deadly domestic violence encounter happened shortly after 5 p.m. Sunday at the couples Woodleigh Place home in Weatogue. Bernard Halligan, Jr.'s death was ruled a s. Leverett also led police to a barn where he threw a bloody glove. 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. The crime went unsolved until last week, when a registered sex offender, William Leverett, walked into a church, Open Gate Ministries in Windsor Locks, and confessed. The arrest warrant detailed Leverett wrote confession letters the night of the murder. RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Police tailed Simsbury cold case murder suspect after confession. He moved to Simsbury. 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. 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. SIMSBURY The deaths of a husband and wife on Sunday have been ruled a murder-suicide, officials said. Nearly four years ago, Melissa Millan, a mother of two, was brutally murdered in Connecticut while she was out on a jog. I was just going with the flow, Downey said during a hearing to suppress his statements. William Leverette, a convicted sex offender, walked into Simsbury CT police department and confessed to killing Melissa Millan in 2014. Christopher Keating is a reporter for the Hartford Courant. Day leaves behind her parents Jimmy and Joanie (Anasoulis) Day, of Canton, her brother, Jim and her sister, Stephanie. Police are still investigating the incidents that led up to the fatal double shooting that night. Her son with Wawrzyniak is staying with Day's parents. 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. He had been held on a $2 million bond. SIMSBURY, Conn. (WTNH) - The Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled the double shooting that left a husband and wife dead a murder-suicide. Friends and neighbors are grieving after a murder-suicide involving a couple in Simsbury. Beth Day and Michael Wawrzyniak, who lived at the Meadows Apartments, 71 Hopmeadow St . The Connecticut domestic violence hotline can be reached 24/7 at 888-774-2900, or 844-831-9200 for Spanish speakers. 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. pointed a gun at Day and pulled the trigger, reported that Dominik's father was still active in his life. He did not go to jail but was placed on probation and the sex offender registry, the Courant said. Leverett was on probation after a conviction of child sex assault in Colorado in 2011. 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. Leverett said he was shaking and crying, and that he fled the area, the documents said. Leverett said he heard Milan say: Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, before she went quiet, records show. Anyone can read what you share. 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 body of Roberto Fonseca-Rivera, 44, of Boston, Massachusetts, was found behind the wheel of the Katsiroubas Produce truck he had . Gill said they each died from a gunshot wound. Justice needed to be done.". William Leveretts attorneys entered a plea guilty bargain in Hartford Superior Court on Tuesday for the murder of Melissa Millan. Id like to see him released alive, Simon said. On the night of Sept. 19, the parents of. Baldini agreed to reduce Downeys sentence by four years. At the time of the crime, Simon said, Downey had a very serious alcohol problem, and to my mind thats why this crime happened.. He went to walk along the path near Iron Horse Boulevard in hopes of finding someone to talk with. Mr. Leverett went to the Simsbury Police Department that night and was interviewed by the police for more than four hours. A man charged with the 2014 murder of a Simsbury mother has pleaded guilty, court documents show. Information about your device and internet connection, like your IP address, Browsing and search activity while using Yahoo websites and apps. This is a carousel. Downey testified that he could not remember what happened the night of the shooting, Alexander said. She was found stabbed to death while jogging on Iron Horse Boulevard on November 20, 2014. Leverett led police to then home in Windsor Locks, where he showed them two confession notes. Mark Downey, convicted of a Simsbury murder in 1992, had four years shaved off his 50-year sentence Tuesday. He was arrested several days later after police investigated his confession. Man accused of killing Simsbury jogger Melissa, 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, Man accused of killing Simsbury jogger Melissa Millan rejects deal that wouldve sent him to prison for 35 years, 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. She also leaves her grandfather, Buddy Day of Canton and Tina and Sal Difabio of New Hartford. Double-murder suicide in CT: PD/ Woman helps fuel restaurant biz/ Fire destroys garage/ $220K embezzlement case/ Bank access restricted. You can change your choices at any time by visiting your privacy controls. Leverett allegedly told police that when he spotted Millan, whom he did not know, he was attracted to her "physical features," the document said. Leverett saw Millan on the running path and said he was immediately attracted to her physical features, according to the arrest warrant application. Davis classified the incident as a domestic violence shooting. 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. Downey is a different man now, Simon told the judge. Trending Watch 24/7 NBC CT Weather Blog 70 Years of NBC Connecticut NBC CT's The Connection CT Live . He also noted that before the case went to trial, Downey rejected a variety of plea offers that would have had him plead guilty to manslaughter and receive a lesser sentence. SIMSBURY, CT Two people are dead following a domestic violence shooting in Simsbury on Sunday night, according to police. 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. The suspect had been arrested for sexual assault of a child in 2009 in Colorado and pleaded guilty in 2011, The Hartford Courant reported. Police have not yet provided an update in the investigation as of Tuesday. He said he had blacked out, and when he realized what happened called 911 immediately, Alexander said. A text alert was later sent out and said that there was no longer an emergency. It was the nature of the injury and the nature of the weapon involved.. Police found those notes and that same day Leverett led investigators to a barn where he threw a bloody glove. a Hartford Superior Court jury took a little more than two days to convict Downey . It was clear this was not an accidental shooting, Alexander said. Trazinski's wife and co-pastor, Colette Trazinksi, called Leverett "a faithful member of the church. In October 2020, Leverett was offered a 35-year prison sentence and 10 years parole in a plea deal. I think my hands were shaking at this point. At the start of the trial, the defense asked the court to ignore Downeys statements to police that the shooting was accidental because they obviously conflicted with the forensic evidence. 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. Then, last week, a man walked into his pastors home and confessed to the crime. He donated his bloody boots to a Goodwill drop box and threw the knife away in a trash compactor at work. Nicholas Rondinone can be reached at nrondinone@courant.com. Day and Wawrzyniak knew each other from attending Canton High School together, according to Day's mother, who lives in Canton. No additional information was available. RELATED: Suspect in 2014 Simsbury murder pleads not guilty. (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. The calls were made through the CT Alert system. ', The Best Window Replacement Companies in CT, Guide to Legal Cannabis Dispensaries in CT, The Best Kitchen Remodeling Companies in CT, The Best Bathroom Remodeling Companies in CT. Where are Connecticut's most and least walkable areas? Simsbury police confirmed Monday that a local man fatally shot his wife and then killed himself in their home Sunday evening. The first Simsbury Police officer arrived at the apartment within 30 seconds of being dispatched. ', West Haven mayor under fire after city is left without a finance director at start of budget season, Wallingford BOE votes to consolidate Sheehan, Lyman Hall high schools into one building, The Best Private High Schools near New Haven, Guide to Legal Cannabis Dispensaries in CT, The Best Private Preschools Near New Haven. No next court date was scheduled Tuesday. Leverett allegedly said he "'was angry' and that his 'anger escalated rapidly,'" and he was "acting beyond his control," the documents 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. He can be reached atdstewart@fox61.com. Neighbors at The Meadows apartment complex where the couple lived for approximately 18 months remember a quiet couple whom they often saw spending time with their son. He always looked happy and I never heard them argue. 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. Simsbury police are investigating a shooting on Woodleigh Place in Weatogue. 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. 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. Photo by Scot Allyn/Register Citizen Staff, The back of the apartment that was the site of an apparent shooting in Simsbury. Leverett rejected the deal during a court hearing. 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. 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. 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. Officers received a call about a reported shooting at a. He was employed at a pest control business in East Granby, Michael's Carpenter Ant and Termite Services, at the time of his death. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/27/nyregion/confess-cold-case-murder-connecticut-jogger.html. The manner of death for her husband, 59-year-old Bernard Halligan Jr., was ruled a suicide. Leveretts arrest in 2018 brought closure to a case that had puzzled investigators for years. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner said Monday that Linda. At their urging, Leverett went to the police department to turn himself in. Knowing all of this you want to reject the offer today? Prats asked. Tests showed it contained Milans DNA. SIMSBURY A teen escaped a home where police say two people died in a domestic violence shooting on Sunday. "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. William Winters Leverett, 29, has been incarcerated on $2 million bail since his arrest in 2018 for murder. "Above all he cherished spending time with his beloved son Dominik, who was the joy of his life," Michael Wawrzyniak's obituary said. 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.. 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. 'Something happened' and the next thing he knew he had stabbed her in the chest with a knife he was carrying. Ms. Trazinski told Mr. Leverett that she remembered hearing reports of the crime. He was arraigned Monday, but the results were not clear. Davis said responding officers found Linda Halligan and carried her to an ambulance and rushed to St. Francis Hospital, where she died. Nicholas Boulter. He will be sentenced on May 3, his public defender said. Investigating officers eventually found 59-year-old Bernard Halligan Jr. dead in the garage of the home, Davis said. Nearly four years ago, Melissa Millan, a mother of two, was brutally murdered in Connecticut while she was out on a jog. The manner of death for her husband, 59-year-old Bernard Halligan Jr., was ruled a suicide. We want to hear from you! SIMSBURY The deaths of a husband and wife on Sunday have been ruled a murder-suicide, officials said. 335. 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. Prats told Leverett that with his rejection, the case will go to a jury trial, which exposes him to a sentence ranging from 25 years to life if he is found guilty. A Confession Came Four Years Later. 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. "It's unbelievably hard. Email us atnewsteam@fox61.com. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 3. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Leverett returns to court on Oct. 9, according to the Courant. The Windsor Locks man charged with killing Simsbury mother Melissa Millan as she jogged down a busy trail in town in 2014 rejected a plea deal Tuesday that would have sent him to prison for 35 years. I was drunk.. He said he wiped the blood off the boots he wore that night and continued to wear them for several months before donating them to a Goodwill, the document said. Contributions can be made to the Connecticut Humane Society, 701 Russell Road, Newington, CT 06111. 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. 00:02 04:00. "They were unable to make contact with any occupants, but they heard the sound of a crying baby inside.". A Connecticut State Police crime lab truck pulled up about 11:25 p.m. on the walkway between her apartment and the one in which the couple was found, she said. 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. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Leverett told police that the day of the murder he was at a sex offender's therapy group in Hartford, according to the arrest warrant affidavit. 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. Leverett, 27, of Windsor Locks, who is a registered sex offender, was charged with one count of murder. 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. Linda Halligan, 57, and 59-year-old Bernard Halligan, Jr., were found. They were a young couple with a little boy. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. A Connecticut Woman Was Killed While Jogging. DeCaprio cited Downeys remorse and his exemplary record in jail as reason for the judge to consider a reduction in the 50-year sentence he received in 1994. Two people have died. Melissa Millan, 54, was stabbed to death while jogging in November 2014. The judge allowed his statements to be admitted as evidence. 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. 35-Year prison sentence and 10 years parole in a trash compactor at work text alert was sent... Wawrzyniak, who lives in Canton Society, 701 Russell Road, Newington, 06111. 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