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Stamford/Norwalk State’s Attorney Paul Ferencek announced on Tuesday, May 23, that Robert C. Simmons was sentenced to 85 years in prison for the 2019 home invasion murder of Isabella Mehner in her Stamford home.
Simmons, age 54, was found guilty in February by a Stamford Superior Court jury on charges of:
- Murder
- Burglary
- Home invasion
- Felony murder
At trial, the woman's daughter testified about how she found her mother at the bottom of the basement stairs on the evening of Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2019. After an autopsy the following day, the medical examiner ruled the death a homicide.
Evidence produced at trial showed that Simmons entered the home around 5:39 p.m., and exited approximately eight minutes later.
Video surveillance from the area led police to a description of the suspect, who police spotted in downtown Stamford in the same clothing shown on the video footage less than 48 hours after the murder.
The suspect was later identified as Simmons, and an investigation determined that he had prior ties to the woman and had been to her home in the past to perform drain work.
The woman's injuries, largely to her head, were extensive, and found to be caused by a blunt force object, court documents show.
Investigators found the Simmon's DNA underneath the nails of the victim and the victim’s DNA on the defendant’s pants.
“Mr. Simmons’ premeditated acts of extreme violence perpetrated against a defenseless 94-year-old woman warranted the court in meting out maximum consecutive jail sentences on the murder and home invasion convictions,” Ferencek said. “Although the 85-year sentence is in many ways symbolic given the defendant’s age, hopefully the victim’s family will find some closure in knowing that he will in all likelihood spend the rest of his life incarcerated.”
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