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Obituaries
Family Of Toddler, Mother, Aunt Killed In Fiery Merritt Parkway Hit-Run Start Fundraiser Family Of Toddler, Mother, Aunt Killed In Fiery Merritt Parkway Hit-Run Start Fundraiser
Family Of Toddler, Mother, Aunt Killed In Fiery Merritt Parkway Hit-Run Start Fundraiser A New Jersey community is rallying around a family after a toddler, her mother, and her aunt were killed in a fiery Connecticut hit-and-run crash last week. Loved ones are now asking for help bringing the child’s body home to Guatemala while her father remains in ICE custody. The crash happened just before 5 a.m. May 10, on the Merritt Parkway near Exit 36 South in Stratford, according to Connecticut State Police. Police said 2-year-old Yanelet DePaz died alongside Maria E. Vasquez Chacon, 29, and Joselyn Vasquez-Chacon, 25, all of Trenton, New Jersey.  Loved ones created a&…

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by Josh Lanier
Obituaries
Former CT Volunteer Fire Chief Dies Following Cancer Battle After 50 Years Of Service Former CT Volunteer Fire Chief Dies Following Cancer Battle After 50 Years Of Service
Former CT Volunteer Fire Chief Dies Following Cancer Battle After 50 Years Of Service A longtime former Connecticut volunteer fire chief has died following a battle with cancer. He served his community for more than 50 years, and now residents are giving back to the family he leaves behind. Glenn Martone, who served as chief of the Brookfield Volunteer Fire Company for decades, died Sunday, May 17, surrounded by family, according to his obituary. He was 70.  A Brookfield High School graduate from the Class of 1973, Martone served the Brookfield Volunteer Fire Company as chief, president, and board member during his time with the department. “His leadership, mentorship,…

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by Josh Lanier
Obituaries
Body Found In Connecticut River In Lyme ID’d As Missing Massachusetts Man Body Found In Connecticut River In Lyme ID’d As Missing Massachusetts Man
Body Found In Connecticut River In Lyme ID’d As Missing Massachusetts Man A body pulled from the Connecticut River earlier this month has been identified as a Massachusetts man who vanished in January. Officials said Monday, May 18, that Donald Plasse, 63, of Holyoke, was the person found near the Chester-Lyme Ferry on May 9. Plasse had been missing since Jan. 13 following an incident near the Connecticut River in South Hadley, according to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. The discovery happened around 12:25 p.m. when a vessel traveling on the river reported seeing a body in the water, officials said. Environmental Conservation…

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by Josh Lanier
Obituaries
'Lives Will Never Be The Same': Loved Ones Remember Motorcyclist Killed In Windham Crash 'Lives Will Never Be The Same': Loved Ones Remember Motorcyclist Killed In Windham Crash
'Lives Will Never Be The Same': Loved Ones Remember Motorcyclist Killed In Windham Crash A 30-year-old Connecticut motorcyclist who was killed last week in a violent crash with an SUV has been identified, authorities said. Devan Nolet, of Mansfield, was killed in a Thursday, May 15, crash shortly before 6 p.m. outside Apollo Pizza on Route 32 in Windham, Connecticut State Police said Monday. Investigators said a 2019 silver Ford Explorer was heading north on Route 32 and attempting to turn left into the Apollo Pizza driveway. At the same time, a 2009 Suzuki GSX-R750 motorcycle was traveling southbound when it slammed into the SUV’s right front end, police said. Nolet was throw…

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by Josh Lanier
Obituaries
'Talented Young Adult': Service Set For CT Teen Killed In Motorcycle Crash 'Talented Young Adult': Service Set For CT Teen Killed In Motorcycle Crash
'Talented Young Adult': Service Set For CT Teen Killed In Motorcycle Crash A memorial service will be held this weekend for a 17-year-old Connecticut teen who died days after a motorcycle crash in Hartford. Elijah “Eli” Santiago, of Manchester, died Saturday, May 9, at Hartford Hospital after the crash shortly before 6 p.m. May 5 on Franklin Avenue in Hartford, police said. The crash involved another vehicle near Standish Street, according to investigators. The driver of the other car remained at the scene and cooperated with Hartford police. New Horizons at Manchester Regional Academy, where Elijah attended school, called him a “kind and resilient young man who …

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by Josh Lanier
Obituaries
RI Carpenter, Father Remembered For ‘Golden Heart’ After Fatal Connecticut Crash RI Carpenter, Father Remembered For ‘Golden Heart’ After Fatal Connecticut Crash
RI Carpenter, Father Remembered For ‘Golden Heart’ After Fatal Connecticut Crash A Rhode Island father, craftsman, and outdoor adventurer is being remembered for his “golden heart” after he died in a crash that sent his pickup truck into a Connecticut home earlier this month. Friends and family are now rallying around the fiancée and the young daughter he left behind. Matthew James Sherman, 42, of Foster, Rhode Island, died May 6 after investigators said he lost control of his truck in Killingly. Connecticut State Police said Sherman was driving a 2023 GMC Sierra on Hartford Pike when he misjudged a curve. The truck went off the road, hit multiple mailboxes and a street …

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by Josh Lanier
Obituaries
CT Dad Of 3 Found Dead In State Forest Remembered As Beloved Family Therapist, Outdoorsman CT Dad Of 3 Found Dead In State Forest Remembered As Beloved Family Therapist, Outdoorsman
CT Dad Of 3 Found Dead In State Forest Remembered As Beloved Family Therapist, Outdoorsman A Connecticut father of three whose body was found in a state forest is being remembered as a compassionate therapist who loved the outdoors. Justin J. Kruger, 50, of Oxford, was found dead following a search that ended Friday morning, May 1, according to the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. His vehicle was found near the Oxford Reservoir inside Naugatuck State Forest, a popular spot for hikers and outdoor visitors. Officials said there are no signs of foul play. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death. “DEEP extends our condolences to h…

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by Josh Lanier
Obituaries
Woman Allegedly Killed By Award-Winning Chef Remembered As Loving Mom Woman Allegedly Killed By Award-Winning Chef Remembered As Loving Mom
Woman Allegedly Killed By Award-Winning Chef Remembered As Loving Mom Friends and loved ones of a 31-year-old Massachusetts woman who police say was beaten to death by her husband in a hotel room are rallying to help her 10-year-old daughter and her beloved dogs. Jeffrey MacDonald, 36, of Wilbraham, faces murder and assault charges after police say he killed his wife, Emma MacDonald, at Hotel UMass in Amherst on Wednesday, April 22. Police responded around 7:45 p.m. to Room 413 after reports from neighboring rooms of a woman screaming and crying. When they arrived, Emma was dead, and Jeffrey MacDonald attacked one of the officers, authorities said. After poli…

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by Josh Lanier
Obituaries
Connecticut Mom Of 4 Killed, Family Asks For Help: 'Her Kindness Touched Everyone' Connecticut Mom Of 4 Killed, Family Asks For Help: 'Her Kindness Touched Everyone'
Connecticut Mom Of 4 Killed, Family Asks For Help: 'Her Kindness Touched Everyone' A 33-year-old mother was found dead with a gunshot wound in what her family is calling a domestic violence incident, leaving behind four children and a grieving family now asking for help. Keishla Claudio, 33, was found unresponsive at her Belden Street home in Hartford on Friday night, April 24, police said. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities said Saturday the case is being investigated as a possible act of domestic violence.  A person of interest was later found dead in another state from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to police. An email to Hartford i…

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by Josh Lanier
Obituaries
CT Dad Of 3 Killed While Searching For Stolen Car Remembered As ‘Fighter’ With Big Heart CT Dad Of 3 Killed While Searching For Stolen Car Remembered As ‘Fighter’ With Big Heart
CT Dad Of 3 Killed While Searching For Stolen Car Remembered As ‘Fighter’ With Big Heart A 38-year-old Connecticut dad killed after being hit by a car while searching for his stolen vehicle earlier this month is being remembered for his resiliency and toughness despite health battles and setbacks, his family said. Matthew "Kook" Croskey was struck by a car just after 11:45 p.m. Friday, April 17, at the intersection of Hartford Road and Village Square Drive in New Britain, police said. The driver stayed at the scene and cooperated with investigators. Police say Croskey was in the area looking for his car, which had been stolen earlier that evening. Manchester police found the st…

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by Josh Lanier
Obituaries
Voluntown Diner Owner Mourned After Death In Violent Griswold Motorcycle Crash Voluntown Diner Owner Mourned After Death In Violent Griswold Motorcycle Crash
Voluntown Diner Owner Mourned After Death In Violent Griswold Motorcycle Crash A diner owner from Connecticut was killed and his partner injured in a motorcycle crash before Easter. Nathan “Nate” Musto died on Saturday, April 4, after being thrown from his motorcycle during a crash with a pickup truck on Stone Hill Road at approximately 4:30 p.m., Connecticut State Police said. Musto was riding with his passenger, 35-year-old Erica Tefft, who was also ejected and seriously injured, police said at the time. A GoFundMe has since been launched for Tefft and her four children, whom he considered his step-children. Musto, who was born on September 25, 1990, “was a man who…

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by Cecilia Levine
Obituaries
‘True Hero’: CT Dad ID'd As Man Who Drowned In Florida Saving Child ‘True Hero’: CT Dad ID'd As Man Who Drowned In Florida Saving Child
‘True Hero’: CT Dad ID'd As Man Who Drowned In Florida Saving Child Police in Florida have identified the Connecticut father of three who drowned earlier this month while trying to save a child caught in a rip current. Jason "Jay" Michael DeGray, 42, of Windsor Locks, died on April 14 after he was pulled under by waves at Cocoa Beach, authorities said. He was on vacation with his family. Reports say DeGray rushed into the ocean to save his son, who had been caught in a rip current and pulled into deeper water around 1 p.m. Ebony Mount, a 34-year-old Ohio woman, he did not know also dove in to help. Cocoa Beach responders and DeGray's daughter Bailey, who i…

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by Josh Lanier