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STATE OF CONNECTICUT DEATH PENALTY INFORMATION FACT SHEET
The last execution in Connecticut took place in 1960. Following the overturning by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1972 of the death penalty provisions in all states, the Connecticut State Legislature revised the statutes defining capital felonies and established new procedures for the imposition of the death penalty. These changes were enacted into law, effective October, 1973. Life imprisonment without the possibility of release has existed here as a statutory alternative to the death penalty since 1985. The minimum age to receive the death penalty is 18; a new provision to forbid the execution of the mentally retarded was enacted into law effective July, 2001. The last bill introduced to abolish the death penalty was Proposed Bill No. 420 in January 2001. It was introduced by Senator Mary Ann Handley, District 4, and Representative John Thompson, District 13.
In Connecticut the Board of Pardons has full authority to grant clemency. The governor has the power to grant reprieves after conviction until the next session of the general assembly. This is a stay of execution privilege meant to operate in an individual case only until the general assembly has the full opportunity to consider the matter. Under current law, the Governor would not have the power to establish a general moratorium on the death penalty by executive decision.
Since the new laws took effect, more than 160 murder cases in Connecticut have been tried as capital felonies, leading to nearly 30 death penalty hearings. The following have been sentenced to death:
- Michael Ross was convicted of the kidnap murders and sexual assault murders of Wendy Baribeault, April Brunias, Leslie Shelley, and Robin Stavinsky in 1983 and 1984. In 1987 he was sentenced to death, but the sentence was overturned due to the court's failure to allow the jury to consider certain evidence as to his mental state. At a new penalty phase trial in 2000 he was again sentenced to death.
- Robert Breton in 1989, for murdering his ex-wife Joanne and son Robert, Jr. in 1987.
- Sedrick Cobb in 1991, for the 1989 kidnap, sexual assault, and murder of Julia Ashe.
- Daniel Webb in 1991, for the kidnap murder of Diane Gellenbeck in 1989.
- Richard Reynolds in 1995, for the 1992 murder of Waterbury Police Officer Walter Williams.
- * Todd Rizzo in 1999, for the 1997 murder of Stanley Edwards in Waterbury.
- ** Ivo Colon in 2000, for the 1998 murder of Keriana Tellado.
- Robert Courchesne, on December 17, 2003, for the September 15, 1998 murders of Demetris Rodgers (eight months pregnant) and her unborn baby who was delivered by emergency Caesarean section minutes after her death, but died 42 days later.
- Eduardo Santiago, on August 31, 2004, for the December, 2000 murder for hire of Joseph Niwinski in West Hartord.
- A tenth man, Terry Johnson, was sentenced to death in 1993 for the 1991 murder of State Police Officer Russell Bagshaw, but the sentence was reduced to life imprisonment in 2000.
When considering these ten cases, eleven victims were white, two were African-American, one was Hispanic. Five of the men are Caucasian, three are African-American and two are Hispanic.
*As of October 6, 2003, the death sentence of Todd Rizzo was overturned by the State Supreme Court. The prosecuting attorney has indicated that he will move towards a second death sentence.
** As of December 17, 2004, the death sentence of Ivo Colon was overturned by the State Supreme Court. The prosecuting attorney has indicated that he will move towards a second death sentence.
(Complied with the assistance of the Capital Defense and Trial Services Unit, Office of the Chief Public Defender, State of Connecticut.)
Download a PDF of this fact sheet here.
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