Landmark Domestic Violence Legislation: Tracey Thurman vs. Torrington, CT Is...
Who would have thought that two Connecticut cities would be prominently known by the eyes of the world for horrific crime and subsequent landmark legislation? Virtually everyone has heard of the...
View ArticleDual Arrests for Intimate Partner Violence
Dual Arrest Changes: Is the Landscape Altered Regarding the Legacy of Tracey Thurman and Intimate Partner Violence in Connecticut? One of my most popular blogs over the years has been about the...
View Article“The Murky World” of Jury Consultants
“Reading people is neither a science nor an innate gift. It is a matter of knowing what to look and listen for, having the curiosity and patience to gather the necessary information, and understanding...
View ArticleClosing Arguments and the Downfall of a Prosecutor
If you are a survivor of crime, a fan of legal dramas or have read my former blog discussing closing arguments, you understand that the closing argument can be thought of in many ways. It can be the...
View ArticleVictim Impact in the Aftermath of Kathleen Peterson Murder
Prelude-A “play by play” watching the final episodes of “The Staircase”- June 2018 I’m watching further chapters of the Staircase about the Michael Peterson Murder Case “Last Chance” and “Looking...
View ArticleFreda Black, After the Glory, She Became a Victim
Say what you want about Freda (Bowman) Black, she was her own person. She was loved as a good Southern woman and skillful attorney, despised by the LGBTQ community, mocked for her prosecutorial...
View ArticleSome Fallacies about Homicide and Missing Persons
Misunderstandings, lack of communication, wrong-headed assumptions, rumors, they all contribute to missed opportunities. When it comes to homicide and missing person families, often time is of the...
View ArticleTurning Commitment Into Action- Reflections on the 2019 CUE Center for...
It’s easy to get caught up in the moment and sign up for a project, event, activity and then have second thoughts afterwards. Many of us do it with all good intentions and then our attention gets...
View ArticleThe Empowering Nature of Citizen Involvement
Being the Voice for Change on Behalf of Connecticut Crime Victims Recently, I was given the opportunity of a lifetime, literally being part of the inner circle for real legislative change. I have been...
View ArticleIn the Aftermath of Homicide – 38 Years Later
A homicide so devastating, a laundry list of police errors, a breadwinner taken at the prime age of 47, promises made such as “He’ll never get out…” and the list goes on. Such was the era of the...
View ArticleThe Mystique of Missing Persons
I am continually in awe of families who experience a prolonged period of missing their loved one without a tangible outcome. This includes missing their physical presence, their emotional being,...
View ArticleOn the Street Where You Live: A Tribute to Kara Laczynski and Donald W. Gore,...
There was another heinous crime on the same street, Evergreen Ave., six years later. It was a case that I helped provide family support when I was involved with Survivors of Homicide, Inc. of Connecticut.
View ArticleOn the Street Where You Live – Part II-
Kara Laczynski was born on Christmas Eve,1962. She attended the University of Pennsylvania, majoring in English and Economics. Prior to being hired at the Journal Inquirer Newspaper in Manchester,...
View ArticleThe Intersection of Life and Death-The Murder of Melissa Millan
When I endeavor to tell a true account of a homicide, I try to look behind, under and around what has already been reported. What is it that is so intriguing? What is the human side of the story?...
View ArticleA Long Term Care Nightmare – Part I
Introduction and a Human Story- ABC News reported that Sal and Mabel Mangano were helpless at the moment as they watched St. Rita’s nursing facility filled with water. On August 29, 2005, the staff...
View ArticleA Long Term Care Nightmare Part II
"A grand jury in St Bernard Parish has just returned a multi-count indictment against Sal and Mabel Mangano, the owners and operators of the St. Rita's Nursing Home where dozens drowned in Katrina's...
View ArticleHell Hath No Fury Like a Nursing Home on Fire
Introduction to Leslie Andino- In 2003, a 23-year-old woman named Leslie Andino was described as “the worst mass murder in Connecticut’s history,” which conjures up all kinds of images. Was she a...
View ArticleGuns, Roses and Funerals Don’t Mix
Introduction The definition of a powder keg is a dangerous or volatile situation. The following true story was undoubtedly that and so much more. I frequently write about topics that intrigue,...
View ArticleGood Intentions, Bad Choices
I stared at the proverbial blue screen recently for seven long hours until the perpetrator of two murders and his laundry list of other crimes finally ended the virtual marathon. I had a tension...
View ArticleAfter 44 Years: Wrong Place, Wrong Time; Wrong People
When a person passes away, no matter what the circumstances, what decade, what historical time frame, there are certain universal facts that are seldom spoken- Life is complicated;We never know what is...
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