Connecticut

A woman met a charming trainer at her gym. Now he’s in a CT prison for violently assaulting her

Published

2 weeks ago

May 7, 2024

A woman met a charming trainer at her gym. Now he’s in a CT prison for violently assaulting her

Angelica Moore, a social worker from Cape Cod, said she never expected to fall into a relationship with a domestic abuser. She figured she’d be able to spot the signs, given her line of work.

And when a charming personal trainer at her gym approached her, the warning bells did not go off — at least at first.

But when Moore headed to Connecticut one weekend in April 2022 for her daughter’s dance competition and brought Brett Geddis along, things took a violent turn in a Newington hotel room.

After two years of healing and a conviction, Moore and a Newington Police Department detective who stuck by her side are speaking out to share her story of survival and the importance of holding domestic violence abusers accountable in the justice system.

Moore said she finally feels ready to empower — and caution — other women.

“I have waited over two years to do this as I wanted to reach the end of this case I fought for,” she told the Hartford Courant just days after Geddis was sentenced to prison for assaulting her.

“I work in a setting where being the voice for others is very important to my identity and it’s never too late for others to speak up for unspeakable acts done to them.”

The violent assault

On April 24, a Connecticut judge ruled that 33-year-old Geddis will spend five years behind bars for the sexual assault and strangulation of Moore.

Geddis, from Cape Cod, appeared virtually in New Britain Superior Court and was sentenced to 15 years in prison, suspended after he serves five years behind bars, with 10 years of probation, records show.

Geddis had pleaded guilty to first-degree sexual assault and second-degree strangulation or suffocation and is being held at the Cheshire Correctional Institution, Department of Correction records show.

The charges stem from a violent assault that left Moore badly injured.

According to a warrant affidavit for Geddis’ arrest, he has a history of domestic violence in Massachusetts and at the time of Moore’s assault was under an active protective order for another woman.

(Courtesy of Newington Police Department)

Brett Geddis booking photo provided by Detective Shannon LaChance of the Newington Police Department.

The warrant affidavit, in which Moore is referred to as Jane Doe, states that a series of incidents between Geddis and Moore started in a bar in Hyannis, Massachusetts, in April 2022.

Geddis allegedly pushed Moore from the back, causing her to fall into the front door of a bar called Flashbacks. There, he also called her a slut and a pig and insinuated that she was a sex worker, according to the warrant affidavit.

That same weekend, the couple headed to Connecticut. On the way, Moore said she expressed wanting to call the police during an argument and Geddis reportedly responded by smashing her phone, the warrant affidavit said.

After they checked into the Holiday Inn Express on the Berlin Turnpike, Geddis allegedly became intoxicated and kicked Moore at 2:30 a.m., causing her to fall out of bed, according to the warrant affidavit.

She went into the hallway, where she told police Geddis “grabbed me by my hair and dragged me to the hotel room. He ripped out like a chunk of my hair and he sat on top of me and started to choke me.”

According to the warrant affidavit, Geddis pushed her onto the floor and covered her nose and mouth so she could not breathe.

“I felt dizzy and could no longer get any air and tapped the ground next to me and eventually he finally released,” the warrant affidavit said.

Moore said she was able to briefly escape Geddis, and she hid in the bathroom. But Geddis banged on the door until she came out. When she did, she ran back down the hallway, screaming for help thinking someone would see or hear her. But nobody came.

“He chased me again and dragged me back in again and choked me again to the point that my eyes started bleeding,” she said. “And I just started thinking, ‘I’m not going to see my kids again I’m not going to get out of here.’”

Moore said she doesn’t entirely remember what happened next, only that she woke up on the floor the next morning.

The violence continued that morning with Geddis sexually assaulted her in the hotel room. She made an audio recording of the assault, according to the warrant affidavit, which corroborated her account.

Investigators also reviewed screenshots of messages between Geddis and Moore, Geddis and another woman who had a restraining order against him and messages from Moore recounting the assaults to friends. Moore also gave police photos that showed her injuries.

At the time, she did not call for help because she feared retribution.

“I had a lot of hesitation about calling the police because I was super nervous about it getting back to my job,” she said. “I was very nervous about what people would think about me having anything to do with this person. It took a lot for me to get to where I am today.”

Moore did reach out to a friend that weekend who called state police. As Moore and Geddis traveled back to Cape Cod, troopers stopped them on the highway. Moore hid her bleeding eyes under sunglasses, and she and Geddis were sent on their way.

Eventually, Moore said, she reported the assault and went to a hospital after her boss noticed her wearing her sunglasses to work to hide her injuries.

“The night they transported me to Cape Cod Hospital I had a rape kit done and domestic violence advocates with me. It felt wild because I help other women in situations like this and I’ve never been in a violent situation like this. It was surreal for me.”

Recognizing the signs

Moore said she did not feel protected by law enforcement in Massachusetts. It wasn’t until Geddis was charged in Connecticut that she started to feel safe.

Detective Shannon LaChance with the Newington Police Department went to Cape Cod to extradite Geddis after he was taken into custody by the Barnstable Police Department.

“The detective was in touch with me everyday for months to see how I was doing and that never happened here (in Massachusetts),” Moore said. “She was just there for me to help make sure that justice was served. And she made it her mission to show compassion and it felt like she really put extra time into my case.”

LaChance said she tries to follow cases through to a sentencing.

“I like to stick with my cases and the victims through to the end, even through the court process, because it’s important that they still know that we’re here to support them,” she said. “Angelica found the strength to really push through the entire thing and she was willing to go through the end with him, and that doesn’t happen in every case.”

Moore said she wanted to share her story to aid in her own healing journey and to protect other women. While the Courant does not name victims of sexual assault, Moore asked for it to be used.

“It helps me heal. And it helps, I think, to warn the community about this person,” Moore said.

She is also pushing for stricter laws in Massachusetts that will help other survivors feel as protected as she did in Connecticut.

LaChance said that in Connecticut, police move swiftly to make sure a person charged with domestic violence goes to court right away.

“No matter what, it’s a next day court date which is good because they have to be in front of a judge as soon as possible,” she said.

Before that happens, police can put protective measures in place to make sure alleged abusers have no contact with their victim.

“There’s a lot of catches in place before they get to court,” said LaChance.

For survivors who don’t want to call law enforcement, LaChance said there are civil avenues for orders of protection to keep them safe until they are ready to pursue contact with police.

Moore said that on that first day, or even the first few hours after an incident, are when a victim is the most vulnerable. Domestic violence data shows that survivors are at the highest risk of physical danger or death when they try to leave an abuser or contact police.

“If there’s no restraining order the next day then the perpetrator has (likely) already called and apologized and … begged for forgiveness,” Moore said.

In Connecticut, immediate restraining orders can prohibit that contact.

“That is going to give the survivor time to get the support they need and strengthen their connections to domestic violence advocates before the perpetrator convinces them to drop the charge,” Moore said.

After taking a few months off from work to heal physically and emotionally, Moore said she is back to work and can see how her own survival is impacting how she helps other survivors.

“When I worked with women who experienced domestic violence, I maybe wondered why people didn’t leave or contact authorities or put their children first,” she said. Now, she said she knows it is not that simple.

“It takes a level of resilience and the right support system and the right people at the right time,” Moore said.

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Connecticut

It’s no surprise that Caitlin Clark has had a tough start to her WNBA career. Look at who she’s faced.

Published

7 hours ago

May 19, 2024

Press Room

It’s no surprise that Caitlin Clark has had a tough start to her WNBA career. Look at who she’s faced.

NEW YORK — So you’re new to the WNBA, and you’re surprised that Caitlin Clark hasn’t been an immediate MVP-candidate scorer in the first week of her professional career. Here’s something for you to ponder.

It’s not just that Clark is a rookie stepping up from the college game to the top women’s basketball league on the planet. It’s not even just the physicality that naturally comes with the pros.

It’s that Clark is 22, and the Liberty’s chief defender on her over the last two games, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, is 30. Kayla Thornton and Courtney Vandersloot, who took turns at other times, are 31 and 35.

That age gap can’t be overstated as Clark starts her pro career with two games each against the veteran-laden Liberty and Connecticut Sun. The first three are in the books, and they’ve been sizable losses.

» READ MORE: Five WNBA storylines to watch this year, from Caitlin Clark to expansion

“This is what you signed up for, this is best of the best,” Clark said Saturday as she faced the Liberty for the second time. “The physicality, I think the way teams are guarding — you go back and watch the film, and I’m stepped way away from the play and I’m still getting face guards.”

It was there again Saturday in New York’s 91-80 win at the Barclays Center. All five Liberty starters scored in double figures, led by Breanna Stewart’s 24 points and Jonquel Jones’ 14. Stewart also had four steals and three blocks, and Jones had 12 rebounds and five assists.

So if you tuned in to the national TV broadcast on ABC only to see Clark, hopefully you ended up appreciating the Liberty’s excellence. But you also definitely got what you came for, as Clark shone with 22 points, eight assists, and six rebounds.

She hit three of her first four three-point attempts and a trademark 30-footer in the third quarter.

» READ MORE: Dawn Staley knows best that Caitlin Clark’s greatest days will come as a pro

A history lesson

It also was what a significant portion of the sellout crowd of 17,735 — which put a WNBA record $2 million of ticket revenue in the Liberty’s coffers — wanted to see. But it was an overwhelmingly pro-Liberty crowd, proving there’s still lots of energy from last season’s run to the team’s first Finals appearance since 2002.

When Clark was introduced in Indiana’s starting lineup, there were audible boos amid the cheers. When Laney-Hamilton and Stewart drove with the ball in the first quarter and knocked Clark flat, the fans were equally feisty.

Still, it’s clear that Clark is on her way.

» READ MORE: North Philly’s Kahleah Copper settles in with the Phoenix Mercury — and with Natasha Cloud as a teammate

New York coach Sandy Brondello recalled how Las Vegas’ Kelsey Plum, who held multiple NCAA Division I women’s scoring records before Clark broke them at Iowa, needed time to adjust. Now, Plum is a two-time reigning WNBA champion with the Aces, who host the Fever next Saturday (9 p.m., NBA TV).

Four years later, Sabrina Ionescu came out of Oregon with heaps of hype but endured a rocky start as a pro. Now she’s a much better team player, not just a big-time scorer.

“It’s a history. It’s not just the person,” Brondello said.

» READ MORE: The WNBA is expanding to Toronto. What does that mean for Philly? (Nothing, honestly.)

Respect already earned

The rest of the league knows how good Clark can be. That’s no surprise, either, because good players always know when they see other good players.

“Obviously, she’s a knockdown shooter, and she has that range,” Stewart said. “When you come into this league and you’re a No. 1 pick, everyone’s going to know where you are on the court at all times. She’s looking to make the pocket pass, and that’s going to be the growth of this team over the season: figuring out what the right spots are, depending on what defenses are going to do.”

By the way, if you’re one of those newcomers, let’s make sure you know about Stewart. Now in her ninth year as a pro, she’s got two WNBA championships, two MVPs (including last year), two Defensive Player of the Year awards, five All-Star honors, five all-WNBA honors, and two Olympic golds. And it all started with a historic 4-for-4 sweep of national titles at Connecticut.

» READ MORE: There’s a Philadelphia WNBA expansion bid, but no one’s saying who’s involved

“I think that [for] us up here, it’s respect,” Stewart said. “Obviously, we know she’s a great player and [are] just trying to do whatever we can to make it tough.”

Jones really nailed it when she talked about all the hype Clark has gotten.

“I think the media needs to give her a little bit of grace and time to develop into a player‚” said the 2021 MVP and four-time All-Star who was just as essential as Stewart to the Liberty making last year’s Finals.

“She’s learning every game as she’s out there, and obviously her impact on this league is going to be tremendous and only grow as she matures,” Jones continued. “But just give her some time, man.”

» READ MORE: The WNBA will begin full-time charter flights this season

A few minutes after saying that, Jones and Stewart were asked what advice they’d give to their rookie selves in hindsight. Stewart’s answer should resonate loudly as Clark grows.

“My first two years we lost, like, a lot,” she said. “Not getting used to losing, but understanding how to navigate that and instead of just being completely frustrated, taking whatever I can and learning from it. … This is the best league in the world, and we wouldn’t be here, being our best, if it wasn’t that.”

That was one more reminder of what might be the biggest truth of all here. The bar for Clark to reach is set by the rest of the WNBA’s players, not the rest of us. We’ll all know when she gets there, but for now, it’s enough that she’s on her way.

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Connecticut

The 2024 Fiddlehead Foraging Season is Here in Connecticut

Published

14 hours ago

May 18, 2024

Press Room

The 2024 Fiddlehead Foraging Season is Here in Connecticut

Have you ever eaten a fiddlehead? It’s a baby fern, some say it tastes like asparagus or broccoli. It’s an earthy, deep-forest, furled green that’s sure to freak out the kid expecting corn. It’s finally getting warm enough to forage, but I heard a troubling rumor about out of state foragers coming into Connecticut.

While I was out walking my dog along the Naugatuck River, I bumped into a young couple from Harwinton who were out looking for any fiddleheads that escaped view. From what they told me, Connecticut is rife with foragers from Boston, who illegally wipe out fields of our fiddleheads to sell to the Northern New Englanders. Eastern Connecticut, East of the Connecticut River near East Hampton is where they used to try to find a few bags in previous seasons, but post-pandemic they’ve had greater success in Litchfield County near Burlington and Nassahegon State Forest.

Can you forage for fiddleheads in Connecticut? Why yes, but like everywhere else in this world, make sure it’s public, not private property, or ask permission. Here’s a few tips on foraging fiddleheads from CBC Life

According to Outdoorapothecary.com, the Ostrich Fern is most common found here, and each plant should have 5-7 fronds growing near the base. Fiddleheads prefer cool weather, like we’ve had so far in Connecticut 2024, and you’ll find them in deep, rich soil on wet, swampy grounds near stream, creeks and the Naugatuck, Housatonic, and Connecticut River. Most importantly, forage responsibly, never take more than what you need.

Five Connecticut Grocery Stores Serving Superior Prepared Meals

Most supermarkets and grocery stores serve prepared foods, some have pizza ovens, sushi bars, even their own coffeehouse. When I don’t feel like cooking, these are the five grocery stores around here that I feel make superior to-go meals

Gallery Credit: Google

Connecticut’s Best Italian Restaurants According to Customer Rankings

20 Connecticut Towns if They Were Cartoon Characters

What if Connecticut’s towns and cities were cartoon characters? I began pondering this concept, and soon it became a nagging thought that refused to go away. I had one idea, followed by another and then a full list that is sure to upset a bunch of people.

If I left out your town, you’re (probably) welcome!

Gallery Credit: Lou Milano

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Connecticut

Why Connecticut Sun will fly commercial to Indiana Fever game amid WNBA charter flight rollout

Published

21 hours ago

May 18, 2024

Press Room

Why Connecticut Sun will fly commercial to Indiana Fever game amid WNBA charter flight rollout

UNCASVILLE — The Connecticut Sun will take a commercial flight to face the Indiana Fever for their first road game of the season on Monday amid the WNBA’s clunky rollout of a charter travel program for the 2024 season.

The Fever and rookie superstar Caitlin Clark flew to Connecticut on a chartered plane for the season opener at Mohegan Sun Arena on Tuesday. The Minnesota Lynx also took a charter flight for their first game against the Seattle Storm, but all other teams flew commercially for their openers. All 12 teams are expected to operate with full-time charter travel beginning Tuesday — the day after the Sun play in Indianapolis.

The WNBA originally unveiled plans to institute full-time charters this season on May 9, five days before the first regular-season games. It announced that the program would be “phased in beginning with the start of the 2024 regular season.” Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said charter travel would launch “as soon as we can get planes in places,” but there was little further explanation. WNBA players held a town hall with Engelbert on Monday after it became clear that charter flights would begin immediately, but not for all road trips.

The Chicago Sun-Times reported that Engelbert told players the WNBA was prioritizing charter for trips that are “crossing multiple time zones or flights that usually require a connection.” Bradley International Airport, where the Sun typically travel from, does not offer any nonstop flights to Indianapolis on any airline.

“Yeah that’s disappointing certainly, considering not just our place to fly in and out of, but us to Indiana is almost the worst trip in the world,” Sun coach Stephanie White said. “I made that a lot of times on the other end, so I know that from experience, and certainly understand that it’s a tough one, so I’m disappointed.”

A WNBA spokesperson said the league will not comment on case-by-case travel situations.

Chartered air travel — or lack thereof — has long been a spot of contention between the league and its players. All 12 WNBA teams traveled to regular-season games on commercial flights under the current collective bargaining agreement last year, and the New York Liberty were fined $500,000 in 2022 for using charter flights provided by owners Joe and Clara Tsai.

Tensions spiked again in 2023 when Brittney Griner returned to the Phoenix Mercury after a highly publicized 10-month detainment in Russia. Griner was harassed by a right-wing social media personality at the Dallas airport while the Mercury were flying commercially for a game against the Wings last season, but only Griner was allowed to fly charter for the rest of the year. The league introduced charter flights for all playoff games in 2023, but Engelbert said as recently as the WNBA Draft on April 15 that the league was waiting for “the right financial position” to implement a full-time program.

That financial position apparently came sooner than expected with the arrival of one of the most popular rookie classes in WNBA history. Social media erupted with safety concerns for Clark over a viral video of her at the airport for the Indiana Fever’s preseason game, and Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese is the most-followed active player in the league on Instagram with an audience of more than 3.1 million.

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