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Obituaries
CT Teen Motorcyclist Killed In Crash With FedEx Truck CT Teen Motorcyclist Killed In Crash With FedEx Truck
CT Teen Motorcyclist Killed In Crash With FedEx Truck A Connecticut teenage motorcyclist who was killed in a crash involving a FedEx truck on Monday, April 27, has been identified.  Christopher Guallpa-Lema, 18, of Danbury, died after the collision on Hawleyville Road in Newtown, according to the police. The crash happened around 5:49 p.m., near North Ridge Drive. Police said Guallpa-Lema was riding a black Kawasaki motorcycle northbound when he struck the rear of a FedEx delivery truck traveling in the same direction. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Witnesses called 911 to report the crash involving a motorcycle and a box truck. F…

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by Josh Lanier
Obituaries
CT Woman Killed In Crosswalk Crash Remembered As ‘Someone We Leaned On, Laughed With’ CT Woman Killed In Crosswalk Crash Remembered As ‘Someone We Leaned On, Laughed With’
CT Woman Killed In Crosswalk Crash Remembered As ‘Someone We Leaned On, Laughed With’ A Connecticut woman killed after being hit in a crosswalk over the weekend is being remembered for her kindness and friendship. Loved ones are now raising money to help cover funeral costs. Evelyn “Shorty” Aponte, 66, was struck just after 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 25, at the intersection of Strawberry Hill Avenue and Colonial Road in Stamford, according to police. Investigators said a 2014 Toyota pickup truck was heading south on Strawberry Hill Avenue. The driver, a 50-year-old Stamford resident, turned left onto Colonial Road as Aponte was crossing Colonial Road. She was in a marked cros…

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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
Beloved CT Father, 45, Dies Suddenly, Friends Rally to Support His Sons, Family Beloved CT Father, 45, Dies Suddenly, Friends Rally to Support His Sons, Family
Beloved CT Father, 45, Dies Suddenly, Friends Rally to Support His Sons, Family A Connecticut father of two who died suddenly at just 45 years old is being remembered as a kind, loving man and friend who always put others first. Jonathan "Jon Jon" Gardella, a Norwalk native who spent his childhood in the Marvin Beach area, died suddenly on April 14 after a medical emergency, according to his obituary. He leaves behind two sons, two brothers, and a host of close friends. One of those friends, Warren Peña, created a GoFundMe to help provide for his family and cover funeral expenses.  Peña said he wanted to help because Gardella had spent his life earning it.&n…

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by Josh Lanier
Obituaries
Diner Owner Mourned After Death In Violent CT Motorcycle Crash Diner Owner Mourned After Death In Violent CT Motorcycle Crash
Diner Owner Mourned After Death In Violent CT 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
Obituaries
Sudden Death Of 37-Year-Old Devoted Father Leaves CT Community Reeling, Rallying Sudden Death Of 37-Year-Old Devoted Father Leaves CT Community Reeling, Rallying
Sudden Death Of 37-Year-Old Devoted Father Leaves CT Community Reeling, Rallying A Connecticut community is grieving the sudden death of a 37-year-old man whom loved ones describe as a devoted father, compassionate brother, and caring friend. Brian Francis, of Bridgeport, died unexpectedly April 15 at Bridgeport Hospital. His family did not disclose a cause of death. He leaves behind a young son, whom he loved eternally. His family said he was always there for friends when they needed help, and now they hope to honor his generosity. They’ve created a GoFundMe to cover his funeral costs and support his son.  Brian Francis was a beloved son, father, and brother…

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by Josh Lanier
Obituaries
CT Man, 23, Killed in California Motorcycle Crash: 'Our Family Is Completely Heartbroken' CT Man, 23, Killed in California Motorcycle Crash: 'Our Family Is Completely Heartbroken'
CT Man, 23, Killed in California Motorcycle Crash: 'Our Family Is Completely Heartbroken' The family of a 23-year-old Connecticut motorcyclist killed in a California crash is asking for the public’s help to bring him home so his loved ones can say goodbye.  Jamaih Fortin, of Bristol, was killed last week after losing control of his motorcycle and crashing into a parked car on the Pacific Coast Highway in Long Beach, according to California police. His father, Jeremy Fortin, launched a GoFundMe campaign to help bring his son's body home. "As a father, there are no words to fully describe this kind of pain," he wrote. "Losing a child is something no parent should ever have t…

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by Josh Lanier
Obituaries
27-Year-Old CT Business Owner Killed In Barkhamsted Crash Remembered For His Big Heart 27-Year-Old CT Business Owner Killed In Barkhamsted Crash Remembered For His Big Heart
27-Year-Old CT Business Owner Killed In Barkhamsted Crash Remembered For His Big Heart A 27-year-old Connecticut man killed in a weekend motorcycle crash was known for his big personality, compassion, and ambition. Loved ones said he embraced life and people with his whole heart.  Matthew Sherwood, of Wolcott, died Saturday, April 11, after crashing his motorcycle into a parked tow truck on East Hartland Road in Barkhamsted, Connecticut State Police said. Responders rushed him to Winsted Medical Center, where doctors pronounced him dead. He leaves behind a family he cared for deeply.  "From the time he was little, Matt was known for something his family lovingly ca…

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by Josh Lanier
Obituaries
10-Year-Old Killed In Mass Crash Remembered As ‘Pure Light,' 'Full Of Promise' 10-Year-Old Killed In Mass Crash Remembered As ‘Pure Light,' 'Full Of Promise'
10-Year-Old Killed In Mass Crash Remembered As ‘Pure Light,' 'Full Of Promise' A Massachusetts community is coming together to remember a 10-year-old girl who was killed over the weekend in a car crash. Loved ones described the fourth-grader as "pure light." Marleigh Guevara died after being struck shortly before 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 11, on School Street in Webster, police said.  Guevara was a student at Park Avenue Elementary School in Webster. Grief counselors were on hand Monday if students needed them.  "We are heartbroken at the loss of one of our young 4th-grade students, Marleigh, whose life was tragically cut short in an accident," Webster…

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by Josh Lanier
Obituaries
‘Her Laugh Was Infectious’: Family Remembers Woman Found Dead In CT Home ‘Her Laugh Was Infectious’: Family Remembers Woman Found Dead In CT Home
‘Her Laugh Was Infectious’: Family Remembers Woman Found Dead In CT Home A 26-year-old woman found dead inside a Connecticut home is being remembered by loved ones as a vibrant presence who left a lasting mark on everyone she met. Janina Brooke Murphy, of Marlborough, Massachusetts, was found at a Claire Hill Road home in Burlington on March 29, Connecticut State Police said. Police have not disclosed the cause of death.  Her family said Brooke was a caring woman who was the "definition of a free spirit."  "Her kindness was legendary, offered freely and without hesitation," her obituary said. "Brooke loved her family and friends with a depth and …

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by Josh Lanier