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NDTV
04-05-2025
- NDTV
US Man Accused Of Beating His 12-Year-Old Son To Death With A Baseball Bat
A Branford man has been charged with murder and attempted murder. Anthony Andrew Esposito Jr. allegedly killed his 12-year-old son. He also attempted to murder his 16-year-old daughter with a bat. A 52-year-old Connecticut man, Anthony Andrew Esposito Jr., has been charged with murder and attempted murder after a violent incident at his home in Branford. According to officials, Esposito allegedly beat his 12-year-old son, Anthony P. Esposito, to death with a baseball bat and attempted to kill his 16-year-old daughter, People reported. The incident occurred on Thursday, leaving the community in shock. As per the police report, cops responded to a distress call from a woman who believed someone had been killed at Anthony Esposito's condo on Hemlock Road. Upon arrival, officers found the 12-year-old son with severe head trauma in the basement, and he was pronounced dead shortly after. Meanwhile, Esposito had fled the scene in his silver Chrysler Pacifica, prompting a search effort. He was apprehended on Thursday after a traffic stop with Connecticut State Police assistance. During his arraignment, prosecutors revealed Esposito Jr. allegedly admitted to the crime because his son "treated him disrespectfully and would use expletives with him". He also claimed to hear voices, including those of his allegedly abusive parents, and stated the voices instructed him on May 1 to "not let him get away with it." The 52-year-old said he heard the voices saying, "Baseball, baseball bat." According to Esposito's account, after the incident with his son, he picked up his 16-year-old daughter from a bus stop and had an uneventful ride home. Upon arriving, he told her his son was in the basement, and as they approached the stairs, he intentionally pushed her, causing her to fall near her brother's body. He admitted that he intended to kill his daughter with the same baseball bat if he could have accessed it after pushing her down the stairs, but she managed to escape the basement. He then left the scene in his car. His defence attorney revealed Esposito Jr.'s history of mental health issues, including childhood psychiatric hospitalisations and hearing voices, as noted in the police report. During his arraignment on May 2, the judge noted the severity of the allegations and warned that he could face life imprisonment without parole due to the "horrendous nature" of the charges.
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Yahoo
Father Accused of Beating His 12-Year-Old Son to Death with a Baseball Bat
A Connecticut man is accused of beating his 12-year-old son to death with a baseball bat Anthony Andrew Esposito Jr., 52, was charged with murder with special circumstances and a criminal attempt to commit murder after the death of his son on May 1 Esposito allegedly told police that he heard voices telling him not to let his son "get away with" disrespectful behavior A Connecticut man is accused of beating his 12-year-old son to death with a baseball bat and attempting to kill his 16-year-old daughter. According to a statement from police in Branford — located just east of New Haven — 52-year-old Anthony Andrew Esposito Jr. was charged with murder with special circumstances and a criminal attempt to commit murder after the death of his son on Thursday, May 1. According to a police report obtained by The Hartford Courant and Stamford Advocate, police responded to a condo on Hemlock Road at around 4 p.m. local time after a woman called to say she believed that Esposito had killed someone in his home. As police were on their way to the scene, they learned that Esposito had left the condo and was driving in his silver Chrysler Pacifica, the outlets reported. Investigators who entered the unit found Esposito's 12-year-old son on the ground of the basement with head trauma, and he was pronounced dead at 4:10 p.m. by a paramedic, per the report. Connecticut State Police troopers then pulled Esposito over on the state's Route 79 near the town line near Durham and Madison, per the outlets. He was taken to the North Branford Police Department for questioning. Initially, Esposito asked to speak to a North Haven police officer named "Jimmy," and only spoke with investigators after being told that he would not be allowed to speak to "Jimmy," according to the police report. Esposito then told investigators that his son treated him "[disrespectfully]" and would use expletives with him, the outlets said. He also told police that he often heard voices in his head — those of his mother and father, whom he claimed abused him as a child. On May 1, the voices told him: "Don't let him get away with [it]." The 52-year-old said he heard the voices saying, "Baseball, baseball bat." He said he picked up the bat and began swinging it, hitting his son in the back of the head, according to detectives. Esposito told investigators that he then needed to pick up his 16-year-old daughter from a bus stop, and the two had an "uneventful ride home," per the report. When they arrived home, his daughter asked about his son, and Esposito told her that he was in the basement. As they walked toward the staircase, he then purposefully pushed his daughter, causing her to fall near where his son's body was. The police report states that Esposito told investigators that if he had been able to get the baseball bat, he likely would have killed his daughter, but she escaped the basement, the Advocate reported. At that point, he got in his car and left. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. The Courant reported that police also seized body camera footage from Esposito's traffic stop, which allegedly shows him admitting to the murder. Esposito was arraigned on Friday, May 2. A judge said during the hearing that he may face life in prison without the possibility of parole because of the "horrendous nature of the allegations," per the Advocate. Esposito's murder charge was enhanced with "special circumstances" because the victim was under 16, the outlets reported. Esposito's public defender claimed during the hearing that he has experienced mental health issues for most of his life and has been hospitalized for treatment multiple times, per ABC News. The attorney also said that Esposito has not been on medication and asked that he be placed under a suicide watch while in prison. In their statement, police said they were working with the local public school district "to ensure that grief counselors and support resources are available to students and staff who may be affected by this heartbreaking loss." "Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim's family, friends and all those impacted in our community," police added. Esposito is being held on a $3,000,000 bond. If you or someone you know needs mental health help, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor. If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Yahoo
Man accused of beating 12-year-old son to death with baseball bat
A Connecticut man is charged with murder with special circumstances after allegedly beating his 12-year-old son to death with a baseball bat, officials said. Anthony Andrew Esposito Jr., 52, is also charged with criminal attempt to commit murder after allegedly trying to kill his 16-year-old daughter, officials said. The incident occurred Thursday at a home in Branford. Police in Branford identified the homicide victim as Anthony P. Esposito. MORE: 10-year-old pinned under car in hit-and-run; 12-year-old, teacher also struck in alleged intentional act: Police Esposito Jr. was taken into custody Thursday following a traffic stop with the assistance of the Connecticut State Police, Branford police said. During his arraignment on Friday in New Haven Superior Court, prosecutors said Esposito Jr. allegedly told police he "brutally" beat his son because the 12-year-old was being disrespectful. He is also accused of pushing his teenage daughter down the stairs and allegedly admitted to police that if he were able to get the baseball bat, he would have killed her, too, prosecutors said. His defense attorney told the court that Esposito Jr. has had mental health issues since he was a young child, including multiple psychiatric hospitalizations during childhood, and noted that the police report reflected that he was hearing voices. Esposito Jr. remains held on a $3 million bond, police said. The defense had asked for the bond to be lowered to $1 million, but the judge kept it at $3 million, ABC New Haven affiliate WTNH reported. The case remains under investigation. MORE: Man sentenced to 53 years in prison in hate crime murder of 6-year-old Palestinian-American boy "Branford Police are working closely with the Branford Public School System to ensure that grief counselors and support services are available to students, staff, and families affected by this tragedy," the Branford Police Department said in a press release. "We understand this is an incredibly difficult time for our community, and our hearts are with Anthony's family, friends, classmates, and teachers." Counseling support will be held on Saturday at a Branford middle school, WTNH reported. "On behalf of the Branford Public Schools, we extend our deepest condolences to the family, friends, and all those impacted by this unimaginable tragedy," Branford Public Schools Superintendent Christopher Tranberg said in a statement to WTNH. "Our hearts are with them during this incredibly difficult time." Man accused of beating 12-year-old son to death with baseball bat originally appeared on
