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Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
Serial killer fears in New England as the chilling discovery of 13th body in woods fuels fear in community
The discovery of a woman's body in Massachusetts has reignited fears that a serial killer's on the prowl in New England as the grim find marked the 13th unexplained death in the region. The body of 21-year-old Adriana Suazo was found on June 1 in a wooded area of Milton, Massachusetts, according to Norfolk District Attorney's Office. There were no visible signs of trauma, and investigations into the cause of death by the Chief Medical Examiner's office has continued. Suazo's death's another suspicious fatality carried out across Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Maine since early March, many of which involved female victims found in wooded or remote areas. While police repeatedly denied any connection, speculation about a potential serial killer's taken hold across social media. Meanwhile, the death of murder suspect Donald Coffel reignited much of the chatter. Coffel, 68, was accused of brutally killing his roommate and living with her corpse for over a week before dumping her remains. Coffel passed away in May while being held at the Corrigan Correctional Center in Connecticut, according to the state's Department of Correction. His death was not considered suspicious. Police said he acted alone when he murdered Suzanne Wormser, 58, and reiterated that there was no threat to the public. Police believed the assailant acted alone when he murdered Wormser but her slaying soon became central to online theories tying together over a dozen local deaths. Those fears took hold when members of a true-crime Facebook group noticed multiple bodies or sets of human remains had been discovered across the region in a matter of weeks, some just minutes from one another by car. Suazo's sister Melanie Pizarro launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover funeral costs and on it she wrote: 'Adriana wasn't just my sister - she was a firecracker, full of life, laughter, and fierce love. She loved hard, laughed loud, and made sure the people around her felt it.' A vigil was held near the wooded area where the victim's body was found. On March 6, Paige Fannon was found in the Norwalk River in Connecticut, the same day a human skull was discovered near Route 3 in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Two weeks later, on March 19, Wormser's remains were located in Groton, Connecticut. The next day, Denise Leary's body was located near her home in New Haven, Connecticut, months after she was last seen. On March 26, the remains of 56-year-old Michele Romano were spotted in a wooded area in Foster, Rhode Island. As the weeks went on, more bodies surfaced. On April 9, unidentified remains were found in Killingly, Connecticut. The following day, another unidentified body was discovered in Framingham, Massachusetts. On April 20, a body was pulled from the Seekonk River in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Two days later, the body of Meggan Meredith was detected near a bike path in Springfield, Massachusetts. In the following weeks, the bodies of Samuel Stovall, Mary Colasanto, and Jasmine Wilkes all surfaced across New England. Serial killer experts believed the current evidence did support the theory, but they refused to dismiss concerns entirely. FBI serial killer profiler Dr Ann Burgess said: 'Right now, there isn't enough information to say yay or nay. You almost have to go case by case, then take a look at it.' Forensic psychology professor Dr Katherine Ramsland added: 'You can't just assume all of them were murdered, and they're all murdered by one person. That's just silly.' To determine whether the deaths were linked, Dr Ramsland said investigators would need information on the cause of death, types of wounds, victim profiles, crime scene patterns, and more. But in many cases, decomposition made even basic identification difficult. Dr Ramsland also pointed to growing public distrust in law enforcement following another serial killer inquest on Long Island: 'Because of the way that investigation was poorly handled… I think people are very suspicious of police handling these investigations. 'I don't blame them because I think that one was so egregious and embarrassing for that area, that I can understand people saying, "Well, why would we wait on the police?"' While experts cautioned against jumping to conclusions, they all agreed on one thing: authorities - and the public - should keep watching.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Daily Mail
New England serial killer fears return after 13th body is found in small town
The discovery of a 21-year-old woman's body in the woods outside Boston has reignited fears that a serial killer could be stalking New England after the grim find marked the 13th unexplained death in the region. Adriana Suazo was found dead around 11:45 a.m. on Sunday, June 1, in a wooded area of Milton, Massachusetts, about eight miles from the city, according to the Norfolk District Attorney's Office. There were no visible signs of trauma, and the cause of death is under investigation by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Her death is the 13th suspicious fatality across Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Maine since early March, many of which involve female victims discovered in wooded or remote areas. While police have repeatedly denied any connection, speculation about a potential serial killer has exploded across social media. The death of murder suspect Donald Coffel has reignited much of the chatter. Coffel was accused of brutally killing his roommate and living with her corpse for more than a week before dumping her remains. Coffel, 68, died last month while being held at the Corrigan Correctional Center in Connecticut, according to the state's Department of Correction. His death is not considered suspicious. Police said he acted alone when he murdered roommate Suzanne Wormser and that there was no threat to the public. However Wormser's slaying quickly became central to online theories tying together more than a dozen deaths across New England. Those fears took hold in March when members of a true crime Facebook group noticed multiple bodies or sets of human remains had been discovered across the region in a matter of weeks, some just minutes from one another by car. On March 6, 35-year-old Paige Fannon was found in the Norwalk River in Connecticut, the same day a human skull was discovered near Route 3 in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Two weeks later on March 19, Wormser's remains were located in Groton, Connecticut. The next day, 59-year-old Denise Leary's body was found near her home in New Haven, Connecticut, months after she was last seen. On March 26, the remains of 56-year-old Michele Romano were found in a wooded area in Foster, Rhode Island. As the weeks went on, more bodies surfaced. On April 9, unidentified remains were found in Killingly, Connecticut. The following day, another unidentified body was discovered in Framingham, Massachusetts. On April 20, a body was pulled from the Seekonk River in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Two days later, the body 45-year-old Meggan Meredith was found near a bike path in Springfield, Massachusetts. The bodies of Samuel Stovall, 51, Mary Colasanto, 72, and Jasmine Wilkes, 34, all surfaced across New England in the following weeks. The discovery of Suazo marks the 13th body found since March. Her sister, Melanie Pizarro, launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover funeral costs and wrote: 'Adriana wasn't just my sister - she was a firecracker, full of life, laughter, and fierce love. She loved hard, laughed loud, and made sure the people around her felt it.' A vigil was held near the wooded area where Suazo's body was found. Meanwhile, online theories have continued to spiral. A Facebook group titled New England Serial Killer exploded to over 68,000 members, and TikTok videos by amateur sleuths have garnered millions of views. Police have pushed back hard. New Haven authorities said there is 'no sign of foul play' in Leary's death, and Romano's family has publicly denied the serial killer rumors. 'Take my sister Michele's name and pictures off of this effing website right now,' Romano's sister Valerie posted in a Facebook group. 'She was not killed by a serial killer.' Top serial killer experts say the current evidence doesn't support the theory, but they aren't dismissing concerns entirely. 'Right now, there isn't enough information to say yay or nay,' said Dr. Ann Burgess, a pioneer in FBI serial killer profiling. 'You almost have to go case by case, then take a look at it.' Dr. Katherine Ramsland, a forensic psychology professor who studied BTK killer Dennis Rader and co-wrote his book, added: 'You can't just assume all of them were murdered, and they're all murdered by one person. That's just silly.' Still, Burgess admitted: 'I think what's impressive is how many bodies they had that nobody can account for — I think that's a little alarming that these bodies are just showing up. So where they had been or how well they had been hidden is always quite interesting.' To determine whether the deaths are linked, Ramsland said investigators would need information on cause of death, types of wounds, victim profiles, crime scene patterns, and more. But in many cases, decomposition has made even basic identification difficult. She also pointed to growing public distrust in law enforcement following the Gilgo Beach serial killer investigation on Long Island, where corruption and incompetence delayed the arrest of suspect Rex Heuermann for more than a decade. 'I think people are highly influenced by the LISK [Long Island serial killer] situation where remains were found all over the place and now they're beginning to be connected to one individual,' Ramsland said. 'Because of the way that investigation was poorly handled… I think people are very suspicious of police handling these investigations. 'I don't blame them because I think that one was so egregious and embarrassing for that area, that I can understand people saying, 'Well, why would we wait on the police?' While experts caution against jumping to conclusions, they agree on one thing: authorities - and the public - should keep watching.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Daily Mail
Fresh fears of serial killer on the loose as 13th body is found in small New England town
The discovery of a 21-year-old woman's body in the woods outside Boston has reignited fears that a serial killer could be stalking New England after the grim find marked the 13th unexplained death in the region. Adriana Suazo was found dead around 11:45 a.m. on Sunday, June 1, in a wooded area of Milton, Massachusetts, about eight miles from the city, according to the Norfolk District Attorney's Office. There were no visible signs of trauma, and the cause of death is under investigation by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Her death is the 13th suspicious fatality across Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Maine since early March, many of which involve female victims discovered in wooded or remote areas. While police have repeatedly denied any connection, speculation about a potential serial killer has exploded across social media. The death of murder suspect Donald Coffel has reignited much of the chatter. Coffel was accused of brutally killing his roommate and living with her corpse for more than a week before dumping her remains. Coffel, 68, died last month while being held at the Corrigan Correctional Center in Connecticut, according to the state's Department of Correction. His death is not considered suspicious. Police said he acted alone when he murdered roommate Suzanne Wormser and that there was no threat to the public. However Wormser's slaying quickly became central to online theories tying together more than a dozen deaths across New England. Those fears took hold in March when members of a true crime Facebook group noticed multiple bodies or sets of human remains had been discovered across the region in a matter of weeks, some just minutes from one another by car. On March 6, 35-year-old Paige Fannon was found in the Norwalk River in Connecticut, the same day a human skull was discovered near Route 3 in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Two weeks later on March 19, Wormser's remains were located in Groton, Connecticut. The next day, 59-year-old Denise Leary's body was found near her home in New Haven, Connecticut, months after she was last seen. On March 26, the remains of 56-year-old Michele Romano were found in a wooded area in Foster, Rhode Island. As the weeks went on, more bodies surfaced. On April 9, unidentified remains were found in Killingly, Connecticut. The following day, another unidentified body was discovered in Framingham, Massachusetts. On April 20, a body was pulled from the Seekonk River in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Two days later, the body 45-year-old Meggan Meredith was found near a bike path in Springfield, Massachusetts. The bodies of Samuel Stovall, 51, Mary Colasanto, 72, and Jasmine Wilkes, 34, all surfaced across New England in the following weeks. The discovery of Suazo marks the 13th body found since March. Her sister, Melanie Pizarro, launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover funeral costs and wrote: 'Adriana wasn't just my sister - she was a firecracker, full of life, laughter, and fierce love. She loved hard, laughed loud, and made sure the people around her felt it.' A vigil was held near the wooded area where Suazo's body was found. Meanwhile, online theories have continued to spiral. A Facebook group titled New England Serial Killer exploded to over 68,000 members, and TikTok videos by amateur sleuths have garnered millions of views. Police have pushed back hard. New Haven authorities said there is 'no sign of foul play' in Leary's death, and Romano's family has publicly denied the serial killer rumors. 'Take my sister Michele's name and pictures off of this effing website right now,' Romano's sister Valerie posted in a Facebook group. 'She was not killed by a serial killer.' Top serial killer experts say the current evidence doesn't support the theory, but they aren't dismissing concerns entirely. 'Right now, there isn't enough information to say yay or nay,' said Dr. Ann Burgess, a pioneer in FBI serial killer profiling. 'You almost have to go case by case, then take a look at it.' Dr. Katherine Ramsland, a forensic psychology professor who studied BTK killer Dennis Rader and co-wrote his book, added: 'You can't just assume all of them were murdered, and they're all murdered by one person. That's just silly.' Still, Burgess admitted: 'I think what's impressive is how many bodies they had that nobody can account for — I think that's a little alarming that these bodies are just showing up. So where they had been or how well they had been hidden is always quite interesting.' To determine whether the deaths are linked, Ramsland said investigators would need information on cause of death, types of wounds, victim profiles, crime scene patterns, and more. But in many cases, decomposition has made even basic identification difficult. She also pointed to growing public distrust in law enforcement following the Gilgo Beach serial killer investigation on Long Island, where corruption and incompetence delayed the arrest of suspect Rex Heuermann for more than a decade. 'I think people are highly influenced by the LISK [Long Island serial killer] situation where remains were found all over the place and now they're beginning to be connected to one individual,' Ramsland said. 'Because of the way that investigation was poorly handled… I think people are very suspicious of police handling these investigations. 'I don't blame them because I think that one was so egregious and embarrassing for that area, that I can understand people saying, 'Well, why would we wait on the police?' While experts caution against jumping to conclusions, they agree on one thing: authorities - and the public - should keep watching.
Daily Mail
13-05-2025
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS New England serial killer twist as suspect DIES in jail after sparking wild theories
Fears that a serial killer could be terrorizing New England have taken a shocking turn after the suspect in one of the murders suddenly died behind bars. Donald Coffel, 68, died Friday while being held at the Corrigan Correctional Center in Connecticut, according to the Connecticut Department of Correction. His cause of death remains a mystery but it is not considered suspicious, officials said. Coffel had previously been diagnosed with cancer and was undergoing treatment at L&M Hospital. Coffel's sudden death comes after he was charged with the brutal murder of his roommate Suzanne Wormser, whose dismembered torso was found stuffed in a suitcase in a cemetery in Groton, Connecticut, back on March 19. The 68-year-old was accused of bludgeoning the 58-year-old victim to death with a baseball bat because she stole $200 worth of crack cocaine from him. Coffel then lived with her body for more than a week inside their home. He then allegedly dismembered her, disposing of her body parts across several locations. On March 19, a passer-by stumbled across Wormser's torso in a bag in the Colonel Ledyard Cemetery. This grim discovery soon became central to a rampant theory that a serial killer was on the loose in New England, with at least 11 unexplained deaths or murders discovered close by in just two months. Those fears began back in March when members of a true crime Facebook group started noticing m ultiple bodies or sets of human remains had been found across Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts. The remains began showing up in early March and continued all throughout April. Many of the victims were female and several of the discoveries were clustered close to the borders between the New England states - some just minutes driving distance apart. Speculation and rumors quickly spread online, with local residents and online sleuths connecting the dots between at least 11 bodies found within just two months. Law enforcement agencies went into overdrive trying to bat away rumors of a pattern and deny any connection between the cases. The rumors began when authorities found the body of 35-year-old Paige Fannon in the Norwalk River in Norwalk, Connecticut on March 6 - two days after her family reported her missing. That same day, a man stumbled across a human skull in the woods in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Around two weeks later, on March 19, Wormser's remains were found. Then, on March 20, the remains of 59-year-old Denise Leary were found close to her home in New Haven, Connecticut - six months after she allegedly vanished. On March 26, 56-year-old Michele Romano's body was discovered in a wooded area in Foster, Rhode Island. As March turned into April, bodies kept showing up. On April 9, the remains of an unidentified man aged between 25 and 45 were found in Killingly, Connecticut, with another unidentified individual found in Framingham, Massachusetts, the next day. On April 20, around 40 miles south of Framingham, an unidentified body was found in the Seekonk River off Pawtucket, Rhode Island. On April 22, 45-year-old Meggan Meredith was found murdered near a bike path in Springfield, Massachusetts. Three days later, walkers came across the body of 51-year-old Samuel Stovall in Mill River in Taunton, Massachusetts. The next day, on April 26, 72-year-old Mary Colasanto was found in the Connecticut River in Rocky Hill, Connecticut. As the number of bodies rose, social media users began connecting the dots, suggesting some or all of the cases could be the work of a serial killer. A Facebook group - previously titled the New England Serial Killer - ballooned to a whopping 68,000 members within days and, on TikTok, videos posted by amateur sleuths and armchair detectives racked up millions of views. Police in New England denied any connection between the cases. In late April, Coffel was arrested and charged with Wormser's murder. According to an arrest warrant, Coffel confessed to police that he had killed the victim inside the apartment they shared. 'Alright man, I did it. I hit her in the head with a f***ing baseball bat and it cracked her f***ing head open,' he admitted, according to the arrest warrant. The murder is believed to have taken place in December. Police said he acted alone and there was no ongoing threat to the public. Several of the other deaths have also been debunked as the work of a serial killer. New Haven Police said there is no sign of foul play and no indication of any crime in Leary's death. Romano's family has also publicly denied she died at the hands of a serial killer. 'Take my sister Michele's name and pictures off of this effing website right now. She was not killed by a serial killer,' Romano's sister Valerie posted in one Facebook group. America's top serial killer experts Dr. Katherine Ramsland and Dr. Ann Burgess told Daily Mail earlier this month that there was not enough information to either confirm or deny that any of the cases could be the work of the same killer. 'Right now, there isn't enough information to say yay or nay,' said Dr. Burgess, known for her groundbreaking work developing serial killer profiles with the FBI's behavioral unit. 'You almost have to go case by case, then take a look at it.' In many of the cases, it is not even clear if the person was the victim of a homicide, let alone what their cause of death was. 'You can't just assume all of them were murdered, and they're all murdered by one person. That's just silly,' said Dr. Ramsland, professor of forensic psychology at DeSales University who studied BTK serial killer Dennis Rader and co-wrote his book. Some of the bodies still have no identity, gender or age because they were found in such a progressed state of decomposition. 'We need to keep watching, we need to see if any more bodies show up,' Dr. Burgess said, adding that the number of bodies within the short timeframe was curious. 'I think what's impressive is how many bodies they had that nobody can account for - I think that's a little alarming that these bodies are just showing up. So where they had been or how well they had been hidden is always quite interesting.' To determine any possible linkage between any of the murders, the experts said they would need information on the death circumstances (once it's confirmed a homicide) - such as how the victim died, the weapon used (if there was one) and the types of wounds. They also would need victimology (a victim's identity, age, gender, work life and social connections), their risk level (based on factors such as involvement in criminal activity and drug use) and their pre-death activities. There's also the crime scene patterns such as where the body was found and how it was left. With that information, authorities can then see if there's any links between cases before taking further action. '[In any murder], you don't start with a serial killer or a stranger killer as your first part of the investigation… You start with people who knew [the deceased], then you go out in widening circles,' Dr. Ramsland said. Dr. Ramsland - who counts Idaho murders suspect Bryan Kohberger among her former students - said the way the rumors of a potential serial killer spread shows the 'nature of true crime culture these days.' 'There's a lot of what I think of as fuzzy thinking going on in social media and there's this fun about it - even though these are real victims, people are forgetting that part of it,' she said. She also blamed a lack of public trust of what law enforcement is saying, in large part because of what happened in the Gilgo Beach serial killer case on New York's Long Island. The Gilgo Beach case - where the remains of 11 victims were found along Ocean Parkway - was notoriously hampered by law enforcement corruption in Suffolk County. This corruption - which saw the FBI pushed off the case and ended with both top cop James Burke and District Attorney Tom Spota behind bars - has been blamed for suspected serial killer Rex Heuermann walking free for more than a decade after the first victim was found in 2010. Because of that botched investigation, Dr. Ramsland said social media users are taking matters into their own hands this time around. 'I think people are highly influenced by the LISK [Long Island serial killer] situation where remains were found all over the place and now they're beginning to be connected to one individual,' Dr. Ramsland told the Daily Mail. 'Because of the way that investigation was poorly handled, because there were cover-ups and the FBI was shoved out, I think people are very suspicious of police handling these investigations. 'I don't blame them because I think that one was so egregious and embarrassing for that area, that I can understand people saying, 'Well, why would we wait on the police?''
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Yahoo
Gruesome details revealed: CT man allegedly admits disposing of woman's body in trash bags, luggage
A Groton man charged with murder in the death of his roommate allegedly admitted to dismembering the woman after beating her with a baseball bat and disposing of her remains in black trash bags and luggage, according to the arrest warrant affidavit. Donald Coffel, 68, was arrested Friday and charged with murder, tampering with physical evidence and improper disposal of a body in the death of 58-year-old Suzanne Worser. He was being held on a $1 million bond and was arraigned in court in New London on Monday. On March 19, officers from the City of Groton Police Department received a phone call stating that a black luggage bag was in front of Colonel Ledyard Cemetery at 240 Mitchell St. in Groton. The caller told dispatch that he noticed the bag was next to the two trash cans for several weeks and said he was curious so he walked up to the bag and looked inside the bag. 'The caller stated he could smell the odor of something rotting inside,' the warrant affidavit said. Officers responded to the scene, according to the warrant affidavit. As they approached the black suitcase, they said they could smell a 'rotten odor.' Officers opened the suitcase to expose the contents and discovered it was a female human torso that had been wrapped in a black trash bag, the warrant affidavit said. At this time, officers on the scene blocked off the area. The City of Groton Police Department's Detective Division was called to the scene, along with the Connecticut State's Attorney's Office, the Connecticut State Police Eastern District Major Crime Squad and the Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, according to the warrant affidavit. Inside the suitcase were human remains which consisted of a female torso without the extremities, head and neck, and a black trash bag, which was next to the neck area, the warrant affidavit said. The OCME transported the remains to the medical examiner in Farmington. Arrest made in connection with human remains found in Groton dispelling rumors of serial killer Investigators began reviewing Automatic License Plate Reader footage in FLOCK for the area of Mitchell Street to determine when the suitcase appeared. They were able to narrow the time frame to a date range between Feb. 13-18, according to the warrant affidavit. Detectives met with a forensic anthropologist at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner on April 9 who said she believed the victim's age was between 45 and 65 years old, according to the warrant affidavit. The victim's manner of death was ruled a homicide. The OCME also determined the unidentified female may have had Turner Syndrome. 'Turner Syndrome is a developmental disability resulting in underdeveloped reproductive organs and growth,' the warrant affidavit said. Around that time, police released information that they believed the woman may have suffered from Turner syndrome. On April 11, a tip line was established, which began to receive additional information, according to the warrant affidavit. According to the warrant affidavit, a family member contacted police reporting that she believed the victim was her sister, later identified as Worser, the warrant affidavit said. She said she was concerned because she has not heard from Worser since the beginning of the year and Worser did not call her to wish a happy birthday, which was unlike her. She said Worser matched the description of the woman in the press release, the warrant affidavit said. The night, City of Groton officers went to the Worser's residence on Allen Street to conduct a welfare check. Officers were unsuccessful in contacting her, according to the warrant affidavit. The following day, detectives received a call from a second family member stating that she also believed the remains could be her sister-in-law. The family member and her husband said they had not heard from Worser since before Christmas, the warrant affidavit said. Investigators conducted a master name search in NEXGEN system for Worser and noted that the last interaction with her was back on Oct. 17, 2024 for a welfare check at the Allen Street residence, according to the warrant affidavit. The dispatch log entry stated the she was in good health. Detectives conducted an address search and found that Coffel was living with Worser. The last entry that had Coffel and Worser together at the residence was on Dec. 14, 2024 for a medical assist, where Coffel was transported to a local hospital, the warrant affidavit said. Detectives went to the Allen Street residence on April 17 and alleged that the blinds were bent and damaged and the apartment appeared to be in disarray, according to the warrant affidavit. The detectives contacted the property manager who told police Coffel has terminal pancreatic cancer. He said he was last seen living at the apartment about three weeks ago when was sent to the hospital, the warrant affidavit said. The property manager agreed to allow detectives in the unit. Detectives later learned that property manager changed the locks to the apartment shortly after Coffel was transported to Lawrence + Memorial Hospital in New London during the beginning of April due to not paying rent. While walking toward the apartment, the property manager stated that the apartment smelled like something died in there, according to the warrant affidavit. As the door opened, detectives noted the odor of decomposition, the warrant affidavit said. Detectives said the contents of the apartment were scattered and in disarray. The front door opened to the living room, a sofa bed was set up in the middle of the room. Police observed a partial spray bottle of some type of cleaning product on a stool, the warrant affidavit said. In the living room, detectives noticed that a brown bookshelf was pulled away from the wall and there was a brown and black baseball bat that appeared to be wedged behind it. At the end of the bat, investigators allegedly noticed what appeared to be dried blood-like substance and brown hair strands that were stuck to the end of it, according to the warrant affidavit. Investigators noticed the arm on the sofa bed had 'significant discoloration' that appeared to be dried blood-like substance. Based on the observations, investigators made the decision to apply for a search and seizure warrant for the residence, the warrant affidavit said. Later that day, investigators from the Eastern District Major Crime Squad conducted an initial walk through of the apartment after the search warrant was approved. Detectives allegedly discovered a blood-like substance on the ceiling of the kitchen and it appeared that there was a blood-like substance on living room couch, the warrant affidavit says. Items seized included a garbage bag that contained a women's purse, wallet, identification cards for Worser, various cards and a garbage bag that contained a mixture of male and female clothing that were saturated in a red blood-like substance, the warrant affidavit said. Detectives also allegedly observed a blood-like substance smearing on the kitchen floor into the bedroom and a large area of a dried blood-like substance on the floor from the kitchen into the kitchen closet. The kitchen closet floor allegedly had a dried blood-like substance and investigators used two cotton tip swabs with sterile water to collect the blood-like substance. The swabs were secured in an envelope and brought back to City of Groton Police Department, according to the warrant affidavit. Detectives learned Coffel was still a patient at Lawrence + Memorial Hospital. They met with him and conducted a 2 1/2 hour interview in his hospital room that was recorded on their department issued body-worn camera. Detectives explained they were there because Worser's family had reported her missing. Coffel told police he moved in with Worser around the later part of November 2024. He stated he had back surgery on Dec. 22, 2024 at Yale New Haven Hospital and was released early January, the warrant affidavit said. Coffel claimed Worser was still at the residence when he got back from his back surgery, according to the warrant affidavit. Since then, he said he had been in and out of the hospital. He claimed that after one of his hospital visits he came back to the Allen Street residence and Worser was no longer there, according to the warrant affidavit. Coffel told detectives they got along OK with no arguments. However, he claimed he was 'freaked out' about the state of uncleanliness in the apartment and that Worser would get up at odd hours and turn lights or tv on. Another incident Coffel mentioned was when he returned from a hospital stay and alleged that Worser stole money out of a black leather briefcase he used to own, the warrant affidavit said. Coffel signed a written consent to search form for his DNA. Detectives collected two sets of buccal swabs which were packaged, according to the affidavit. Detectives asked about the baseball bat the observed in the apartment. Coffel said there was a bat behind the front door in the corner but claimed that it was not his bat. He said moved it one day looking in the closet and putting Worser's jackets away after he was told he had to be out of the apartment, the warrant affidavit said. According to the warrant affidavit, Coffel believed Worser went missing between January and February while he was hospitalized. Coffel said when he returned home, he did not call police because he did not know what the deal was with her disappearance. Detectives asked Coffel if anything was out of place when he returned home from the hospital. At first, he claimed that no furniture was out of place. Then he alleged that he moved some things when pulling out the couch bed and he got really freaked out when he noticed the left arm of the couch had a 'big ass blood stain on it,' the warrant affidavit said. Coffel stated he had never seen the stain because the arm of the chair was covered with a blanket and alleged it must have been there before but it was covered, according to the affidavit. Detectives asked why he never called the police and he stated he was not thinking. Detectives submitted one of the swabs that was collected from the kitchen closet floor to the Rapid DNA Kiosk at New London Police Department on April 18. Later in the day, they received a confirmation that swab was a match to the human remains found on March 19, the warrant affidavit said. Detectives spoke with Coffel again on April 22. Detectives asked if he had watched the news, and he said he had not. Coffel then asked the detective if they 'found her.' Detectives asked him if he heard about the remains police had found, and Coffel said his friend had called him and told him they found body parts, the warrant affidavit says. Detectives asked when was the last time Coffel saw Worser. Coffel said he believed it was when he got back from his surgery in December. A detective reminded Coffel that he said on the last interview that Worser had been there when he came back from that surgery, the warrant affidavit said. Coffel then claimed the last time he talked with Worser was before Christmas. Detectives told Coffel they found items in the apartment that suggested that something happened there. Coffel claimed he did not know what happened, according to the warrant affidavit. Detectives told Coffel there was blood all over the apartment on the walls and floors as well as the baseball bat. Coffel said he remembered the blood on the couch but not in other places. Detectives asked if Worser attacked him and Coffel said no. They asked if his DNA was going to show up on the Worser's body and he said 'I don't know.' Detectives received a phone call during the interview and stepped out of the room. They learned that another witness had called the City of Groton Police Department and reported details about the incident. The witness told a detective that Coffel told him about hitting Worser with a baseball bat and cutting her up, the warrant affidavit said. When the detective returned to the room, they told Coffel they received a tip from a witness who claimed that Coffel told them Worser stole $200 from him and Coffel said he hit her over the head with a baseball bat and disposed of her body in trash bags. Coffel replied, 'I didn't do that,' according to the warrant affidavit. After a back and forth with Coffel, detectives asked him if he wanted them to leave and he shook his head yes, the warrant affidavit said. On April 22, the witness came to the police station to issue provide a written and signed statement. The witness said Coffel had moved to live with his sister in Missouri sometime around November 2024 and returned the next month, begged him to stay at his place, according to the warrant affidavit. The witness said he allowed Coffel to spend the night for one night. The witness said Coffel then called 'the lady' on Allen Street and he ended up staying with her, the warrant affidavit said. The witness claimed that at another point in time, Coffel went to the hospital. When he came home, Coffel allegedly told him the female resident of apartment stole his crack cocaine and he was going to kill her. The witness believed Coffel told him this near the end of December 2024. The witness claimed that about a month or two later, Coffel came back to his house and told him they were not going to see the 'lady'again and that she was gone, the warrant affidavit says. The witness said the next time he saw Coffel, he allegedly told him he would not believe what happened with 'the lady.' The witness alleged Coffel said he hit her three times in the head with a baseball bat, and said her head 'split' and 'she was dead.' The witness alleged Coffel told him he cut her into pieces, put her in different black plastic bags and threw her in a trash bin, the warrant affidavit said. The witness said he did not believe Coffel at the time. The witness also remembered that sometime in February, Coffel told him someone stole his suitcase and the witness now realized he did something else with the suitcase. The witness said he felt overwhelmed with the information and contacted the City of Groton Police Department, the warrant affidavit says. Detective spoke Coffel at the hospital the next day. Prior to interviewing him, detectives read him his Miranda rights. Approximately 40 minutes into the interview, detectives told Coffel about the information that the witness gave police. As the detective speaking, Coffel was allegedly nodding his head up and down. The detective asked Coffel if he was nodding his head 'yes' because that's what happened, and Coffel allegedly responded, 'yeah,' the warrant affidavit says. Detectives asked Coffel to tell them what happened and he allegedly said, 'Alright man, I did it, I hit her in the head with a (expletive) baseball bat and it cracked her (expletive) head open,' according to the warrant affidavit. Coffel said one day the witness dropped him off at the apartment where he and Worser lived. Coffel claimed could not remember exactly when, possibly the first part of January. He allegedly said he grabbed the baseball bat that was outside the closet in the corner, walked toward Worser and hit her on the head three times. He allegedly said after he hit her, she looked dead, the warrant affidavit said. Coffel said he checked to see if Worser was alive, but she was not, the warrant affidavit says. He allegedly said he kept Worser in the apartment for about 1 1/2 weeks before dismembering her. Coffel allegedly said after he dismembered her, he put the parts in black trash bags and disposed of those in two different dumpsters. Coffel allegedly said he was unable to dispose of one of the pieces and wheeled it to the Colonel Ledyard Cemetery entrance in a suitcase. Based on the information obtained during the investigation, Coffel was arrested and charged.
