Bristol police investigating murder; suspect identified as a neighbor with pending sexual assault case

1-10-17 Connecticut:

BRISTOL — A woman was found slain in her home Monday evening, and the suspect in the case committed suicide in a Hartford motel hours after the killing, police said.

At about 7:14 p.m., police responded to 66 Timber Lane when a family member found 59-year-old Gale McIntyre, the homeowner, dead. The manner of death appeared suspicious, as she apparently died of blunt trauma. Police declined to elaborate on McIntyre’s injuries.

Police said the suspect in McIntyre’s death — 44-year-old Robert Newman — was found dead in a Hartford motel at about 11 p.m. Police said he hanged himself. Newman was a neighbor of McIntyre, residing at 87 Timber Lane.

Newman was identified as a possible suspect as officers were interviewing residents in the Timber Lane neighborhood.

“Some neighbors expressed some concern about him,” said Detective Lt. Kevin Morrell.

Untimely Death of Sex Offender Likely Overdose

3-24-2011 Connecticut:

The untimely death Thursday morning of a sex offender who lived in Fairfield was likely due to an overdose, according to police.

James Pinson died on his 31st birthday after police responded to a medical call at the Hoyden's Hill Road house where he lived with his stepfather and mother, police said. He had been depressed on and off for about five years and had been drinking and taking sleeping aids, police said.

Pinson, who was convicted in 2001 of risk of injury to or impairing the morals of children, was found on a couch in the home and suffered cardiac arrest about 6:10 a.m. as officers arrived, police said. He was taken by AMR Ambulance Co. to St. Vincent's Medical Center in Bridgeport and was pronounced dead, police said. The conviction stemmed from a 1999 case in Fairfield, details of which were not immediately available.

The State of Connecticut's Sex Offender Registry says Pinson was convicted March 12, 2001 and was released from custody on July 27, 2001. He was six feet, four inches tall and weighed 375 pounds, according to the registry. ..Source.. by Andrew Brophy

Police: Firefighter Who Killed Self Knew He Was Target Of Sex Probe

8-2-2012 Connecticut:

A Groton firefighter who killed himself on the UConn-Avery Point campus last week had been told hours earlier by police that he was the target of an investigation into complaints he had sexual contact with teen boys at the gym he owned.

City of Groton Deputy Police Chief Thomas Davoren confirmed Thursday that multiple police departments were looking into the complaints against Timothy Devine, who owned the CrossFit Groton gym.

Davoren said the allegations involved only Devine. He would not comment further.

A source familiar with the investigation said that police had started investigating the day before Devine killed himself on July 23. The source said at least three victims, 16-18 years old, came forward to police.

A detective contacted Devine and told him about the allegations and tried to arrange an interview. At about 5 p.m., a few hours after the initial contact with Devine, police received a report of a despondent man with a weapon.

Police determined that Devine had gone to the University of Connecticut's Avery Point campus by tracing his cellphone. They found it in his car around 10 p.m. in the campus parking lot.

A short time later, state police have said, officers found Devine standing on rocks. He was armed with a handgun and would not drop it, they said. At times, he waved the weapon.

The state police tactical team and hostage negotiators were called to the scene. A trooper and a local officer talked to Devine for more than four hours trying to get him to put down the weapon, but he refused.

The state police SWAT team fired bean bag ammunition and used "flash-bang" grenades in attempts to get Devine to give up. But around 4 a.m. Devine threw the cellphone away and shot himself. His death was ruled a suicide by the state medical examiner's office.

The state police Eastern District Crime Squad is still investigating the case and a final report will be turned over to New London State's Attorney Michael Regan.

Devine, 30, owned the CrossFit Groton gym on Bridge Street in Groton. Devine wrote on his Facebook page that he got hooked on the CrossFit method of fitness training after he tried it through a co-worker at the firehouse.

Devine was a firefighter with the Poquonnock Bridge Fire District for four years. He was buried earlier this week, with firefighters from all over the area attending.

The gym has been closed since Devine's death.

Dale Saran, general counsel for CrossFit, said the company does not require a background check but "we do have a process through which people become CrossFit affiliates [that] includes a personal essay."

"We've toyed with the question of whether it should be a necessity for a CrossFit owner to go through a background check," he said. "We've had very few incidents in 4,500 affiliates. It's horrible if there's any truth to the allegations." ..Source.. by DAVE ALTIMARI and Beau Berman and Anthony DiLorenzo

Police discover child pornography at home of teacher who committed suicide

12-2-2011 Connecticut:

In a shocking twist to the case, the investigation into the suicide of a music teacher at Eastern Middle School has led to the discovery of child pornography in his home.

Chief of Police James Heavey issued a brief statement Wednesday evening stating that a detective investigating the Nov. 9 suicide of Steven Allen, 57, discovered the material in a storage bin. The material was described as printed photographs from a computer that were “sexually explicit in nature” and that “many appeared to be child pornography.” An investigation into the photos has been launched and the FBI has been contacted to provide technical assistance. The investigation is expected to take several weeks to complete.

Chief Heavey stressed that it does not appear that local children are in any of the photographs or that Mr. Allen produced the material himself. The source of the material appears to be from the Internet and Chief Heavey noted that the sites that create this content are often located in foreign countries.

“It is the intention of the Greenwich Police Department to determine Mr. Allen’s level of involvement in this activity, identify and assist all possible victims and confirm that none of the victims are local residents,” Chief Heavey said.

No further information about the case is being released at this time.

Mr. Allen died of a self inflicted gunshot wound and his body was discovered in his Cos Cob apartment on Nov. 9 after colleagues became concerned when he did not come to work. He was a music teacher in the district for 11 years and had been in education for more than 30. Police have said that Mr. Allen’s declining health could have been a factor in his suicide.

At the time of his death he was both a music teacher and orchestra director for Eastern Middle School and had been credited for building the school’s thriving program. The news of his death was met by warm remembrances of a friend and teacher so this new development has left many in the community shocked.

Guidance counselors will be on hand at both Eastern and Greenwich High School to meet with any current or former students of Mr. Allen should they have an concerns or questions. Staff and families will also be able to meet with the counselors if needed.

On Wednesday, Interim Superintendent of Schools Roger Lulow released a statement saying, “We are both surprised and distressed at this news. We are surprised because there had been no indication or suspicion that Mr. Allen was involved in any activity of this nature, nor have there been any complaints or accusations regarding his behavior. We are distressed because we do not condone or tolerate this behavior in anyone, much less a member of our staff. A review of Mr. Allen’s personnel file and the background check, including fingerprinting, conducted at the time of his hire reveal no reports, accusations or suspicions of inappropriate behavior nor any criminal record.”

Dr. Lulow added that the district was “relieved” that the police have not found any evidence that any of the victims were local. The district said it is cooperating with the police investigation and urged anyone with concerns or information to contact the police department. ..Source.. by Ken Borsuk, Staff Reporter

Teacher Charged With Sex Assault Committed Suicide

5-24-2011 Conneticut:

A teacher whose body was found in Beseck Lake in Middlefield on Friday after being arrested on sexual assault charges committed suicide, according to the medical examiner's officer.

Jeffrey M. Francis, 23, of Durham, died of asphyxia due to submersion.

Members of Francis' family contacted state police around 9 p.m. on Thursday to say he had been missing for several hours. They said he had left his home earlier that day and was expected to return shortly thereafter, state police said.

Troopers found Francis' car near Lake Beseck, just off King Road, and his body was recovered by state police divers about 1:10 p.m. He was pronounced dead at the scene, state police said. ..Source.. by HILDA MUÑOZ

Untimely Death of Sex Offender Likely Overdose

3-25-2011 Connecticut:

Police Say 31-Year-Old Man on Hoyden's Hill Died Thursday Morning

The untimely death Thursday morning of a sex offender who lived in Fairfield was likely due to an overdose, according to police.

James Pinson died on his 31st birthday after police responded to a medical call at the Hoyden's Hill Road house where he lived with his stepfather and mother, police said. He had been depressed on and off for about five years and had been drinking and taking sleeping aids, police said.

Pinson, who was convicted in 2001 of risk of injury to or impairing the morals of children, was found on a couch in the home and suffered cardiac arrest about 6:10 a.m. as officers arrived, police said. He was taken by AMR Ambulance Co. to St. Vincent's Medical Center in Bridgeport and was pronounced dead, police said. The conviction stemmed from a 1999 case in Fairfield, details of which were not immediately available.

The State of Connecticut's Sex Offender Registry says Pinson was convicted March 12, 2001 and was released from custody on July 27, 2001. He was six feet, four inches tall and weighed 375 pounds, according to the registry. ..Source.. by Andrew Brophy

---

Apparently, readers of the article who knew this man were upset
at this report of his death, a few of their comments follow:

this article is extremely offensive and disrespectful. this man's legacy shouldn't be framed in such a bias and unfair way. you should be ashamed of yourself for even posting a death notice as insensitive and inhumane as this. one incident from 12 years ago should not be the sole information that we receive about this person's life. learn how to do your job and maybe you won't be writing for the fairfield patch.

It is funny how he owned one of fairfield's best Breakfast/Lunch restaurants, but not once is that mentioned. Andrew no respect was given due to your poor reporting. His offense was 10 years ago. Could had been more respectful.

In CT if someone is under 16 they are considered a child. Jim was 19 at the time of the incident thus "impairing the morals" although the girl was at the house on her own free will. What Andrew Brophy fails to mention is that Jim was kind, generous to a fault and very bright. That entire incident ruined his life. I would like Mr. Brophy to do a little investigative reporting and find out what the "payout" was to the "child's" family. You don't have to give her name...just the $$$$. To write about Jim's accidental death in such a manner is shameful.

Andy- I appreciate all the really good reporting you have done over the years, but you missed the boat on this article and you are better than this. Please don't just grab headlines by focusing on something that happened when someone was 20 years old. In fact, Jim was a productive member of society: he was a responsible small business owner who was married and provided tax revenue and jobs to our local community. He just catered the Fairfield Garden Expo this past weekend and has over the years provided superb food to local non profits, free of charge. I knew him personally as a kind and generous individual. At a time when his family is facing a horrible loss, lets not pile on with unecessarily negative reporting. My thoughts and prayers go out to his grieving family.

Andrew Brophy you are an animal. This article says nothing about the real Jim. To even headline this disgraceful article with such a title is the most disrespectful thing anyone could do. You should be ashamed of yourself and this newspaper should be ashamed to have printed such a disgusting article.

Jim was an amazing guy with a funny and warm heart. Jim was the most sarcastic and funny character around, and considered everyone that went into Lucy's his friend. Theres was no way you could leave his place with out a laugh. Its a shame the way he is profiled in this article and ridiculous that this is the way he was portrayed. He was a great guy who made a mistake at a young age and should in no way be remembered so negatively. Rest in peace Jimbo, you will be greatly missed, and positively remembered by those who knew you!!

Checked if there was a journalists code of ethics. There is: http://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp. Seems Andrew Brophy needs to review them.

There are quite a few comments here and I can't respond to all of them, but I would say that if a Fairfield man convicted of robbing a bank had died at an untimely age, the headline would have identified that he was a convicted bank robber.As for journalistic ethics, a journalist who has far more years of experience than I do headlined his newspaper's article: "Fairfield sex offender's untimely death may be drug related" and contained the same information as this article.This was a news article - not an obituary or death notice that provides a comprehensive overview of someone's life. If I receive an obituary from the funeral home, I would be happy to publish it. In the meantime, the comments above are accomplishing what you feel is lacking in the news story.

Thank you for taking the time to comment.
Andrew Brophy

CT- State police: Man awaiting trial an apparent suicide in Southbury

3-10-2009 Connecticut:

SOUTHBURY -- An Oxford man awaiting trial on charges of sexually assaulting young girls apparently committed suicide Saturday morning in Southford Falls State Park, according to State Police and the Department of Environmental Protection.

Frederick R. Potts, 58, of Sioux Drive, was found dead in the park at 9:14 a.m.

"A citizen going through the park found the body and called 911," said Cyndy Chanaca, a DEP spokeswoman. She said Potts had hanged himself.

State police from Troop A in Southbury responded to the scene, and they turned the investigation over to the DEP Environmental Conservation police.

Potts was the husband of Oxford Town Clerk Margaret Potts.

Oxford Democratic Town Committee Chairman Peter Bunzl and Selectman David McKane expressed concern for the family, each describing Margaret Potts as "a wonderful woman."

"This is such a terrible thing for her to have to go through," said Bunzl, who called her "the best person I know... a wonderful worker and a good friend."

Frederick Potts was free on $150,000 bond pending an appearance next Monday in Milford Superior Court on charges of three counts of first-degree sexual assault and two counts of third-degree sexual assault and risk of injury to a minor.

The charges stemmed from five alleged incidents involving two different girls over an extended period of time. The two girls, both minors, are in the care of the state Department of Children and Families.

Potts also faced a charge of risk of injury to a minor stemming from an alleged Aug. 30, 2008, incident at the Hemlock Hill Campground in Litchfield County.

He was free on $500 bond in that case, which was pending in Bantam Superior Court.

"The whole series of events is such an awful tragedy," said Selectman August Palmer. "My heart goes out to the children involved in this. I feel very sorry for them." ..Source.. by Michael P. Mayko, STAFF WRITER

CT- Garner inmate commits suicide

7-24-2008 Connecticut:

Coventry man accused of killing girlfriend

NEWTOWN -- A Coventry man accused of murdering his pregnant girlfriend hanged himself Wednesday at the Garner Correctional Institution, authorities said.

Officials with the state Department of Corrections said a cellmate informed staff around 4:30 a.m. that Alfredo Ferrer, 43, had hanged himself. He was found with a bedsheet tied around his neck, with the other end of the sheet secured to the cell door at the high security prison on Nunnawauk Road.

Staff members attempted to revive Ferrer, who was transported to Danbury Hospital and pronounced dead at approximately 5:30 a.m., officials said.

Ferrer was arrested April 14 after a standoff with police and was charged with murder for allegedly shooting his live-in girlfriend, Amanda Realie, 27, in their apartment. The woman died several days later.

Investigators said Ferrer told authorities he and Realie were fighting over her heroin use and his history as a sex offender when he accidentally shot her in the face.

When officers arrived on the scene, they found a blood-spattered Ferrer in the parking lot of a nearby restaurant. He was holding a gun and his 2-year-old son and threatening to kill himself.

Brain Garnett, a spokesman for the DOC, declined to comment Wednesday on whether Ferrer was on a suicide watch or had any mental health issues. He noted, however, that Garner "is our designated facility for adult male offenders with significant mental health needs."

He added that the corrections department has enhanced its suicide prevention protocol in recent years and it has "proven to be very effective." Staff members are trained, and cell checks are conducted every 30 minutes.

"Suicide has always been an issue in correctional settings," Garnett said, adding that the last suicide to occur at Garner was in May.

State Rep. Michael Lawlor, D-East Haven, chairman of the legislature's Judiciary Committee, said if Ferrer was in Garner while his case was pending he likely had a "high mental health score."

He added that the facility is understaffed and stretched thin when it comes to dealing with mentally ill inmates.

"We don't have enough facilities for people with mental illness," he said.

Lawlor said while Ferrer belonged in the high-security prison, there are nonviolent offenders -- such as homeless men charged with trespassing or urinating in public -- who would be better served by community-based health services such as halfway homes and treatment facilities.

"This is just one example of what happens when the staff is overwhelmed with mentally ill inmates," he said. "They just don't have the resources they need to manage this population."

Garnett said an intensive investigation into Ferrer's death has already been launched and, as with any suicide in a correctional facility, officials will determine "if there is anything we could have done better."

"We take great efforts in preventing inmates from harming themselves," he said.

Ferrer was being held on a $2 million bond. In addition to murder, he was charged with assault on a pregnant woman, and two counts of risk of injury to a child. His next court appearance was scheduled for Friday.

Court officials said Ferrer was convicted in the 1980s of sexually assaulting a minor, then escaped from prison in 1991 and remained a fugitive until he was arrested for marijuana possession in New York in 2002.

Ferrer's death comes a month after a ruling in Rockville Superior Court that there was enough evidence to put him on trial in the murder case.

The State's Attorney in charge of the case, Matt Gedansky, could not be reached for comment. ..News Source.. by Dirk Perrefort, Staff Writer

Sex Offender Misses Sentencing, Found Dead

12-1-2007 Connecticut:

A man who sexually assaulted four underage girls was found dead after missing his sentencing hearing Friday, according to television news reports.

WTIC-TV, Fox 61, and WFSB-TV, Channel 3, reported Friday that Brian J. Woolf, attorney for Aaron Whitney, told them that when authorities went to re-arrest Whitney after his failure to appear in Superior Court in Middletown, they found his bedroom door locked. When authorities forced their way inside, they found that Whitney apparently had hanged himself with bedsheets, Fox 61 reported.

The station reported that the body had been taken to the state medical examiner's office for an autopsy, but neither that office nor state police would confirm the details late Friday.

Had he shown up in court Friday, Whitney would have been sentenced for having sex with four underage girls he met on the Internet.

But while the judge and lawyers involved in the case were waiting for him, the 28-year-old Chaplin resident was holed up in his bedroom, refusing his father's requests to come out.

Woolf, who had spoken to Whitney's father by phone earlier Friday morning, told the judge: "Aaron has taken an excessive amount of prescribed medications and locked himself in his room. I suggested that he be taken to the hospital, but he refuses to go to the hospital and he refuses to come to court."

The plan was to re-arrest Whitney, who pleaded guilty in September to four counts of second-degree sexual assault and four counts of risk of injury to a minor, to hold him on $1.2 million bail once he was taken into custody. Whitney had also faced a jury trial for similar charges involving other underage girls; the trial would have begun in Superior Court in Rockville on Dec. 12. He pleaded not guilty to those charges.

After explaining his client's whereabouts Friday, Woolf mentioned the upcoming proceedings in Rockville as a possible reason for Whitney's absence, but Judge Frank Iannotti had little patience with Whitney's actions.

"To be honest, we have continued this case many times. I have given you fair opportunity to work out the other matter in Rockville," said Iannotti who ordered a warrant for Whitney's arrest. "Apparently, he did something and it's clear that it's his intention not to be here. He knew he had to be here, and he did something not to be here."

The sexual assault and risk of injury charges involve four underage girls Whitney met and conversed with on MySpace.com in 2005 or 2006. In each instance, Whitney arranged to meet the girl and then brought her to either his Chaplin home or, in one case, a Portland motel, where he plied her with alcohol and prescription painkillers before having sex with her. Second-degree sexual assault carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine, while first-degree risk of injury to a minor carries a maximum of 20 years. Whitney would have had to register as a sex offender and undergo sexual assault evaluation treatment.

Outside the courtroom Friday and before reports surfaced of Whitney's death, Woolf said he was not sure whether he would continue to represent Whitney.

"I don't know if I can, because I was a witness to his failure to appear," Woolf said. "Based upon the charges which he pled to here, as well as what he is facing in Rockville, which is much more serious, I believe that put him over the edge." ..more.. by Melissa Pionzio at mpionzio@courant.com.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Offender's Death Ruled A Suicide

12-2-2007 Connecticut:

Aaron Whitney, a Chaplin man scheduled to be sentenced Friday for sexually assaulting underage girls, committed suicide, according to the office of the chief medical examiner.

Whitney, 28, died of asphyxia as a result of hanging, according to the medical examiner's office.

When Whitney failed to show up for his sentencing in Superior Court in Middletown on Friday, Whitney's lawyer, Brian J. Woolf, told Judge Frank Iannotti that Whitney had taken an "excessive amount" of prescribed medication and locked himself in his room, refusing to go to the hospital or to court.

Whitney pleaded guilty in September to four counts of second-degree sexual assault and four counts of risk of injury to a minor. He was accused of finding the girls on MySpace.com and then meeting them, plying them with alcohol and prescription painkillers, and having sex with them.

He also faced a jury trial in Rockville for similar charges involving other underage girls. ..more.. by The Hartford Courant