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CT man sentenced to 35 years for role in killing of rideshare driver dumped in park near playground

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CT man sentenced to 35 years for role in killing of rideshare driver dumped in park near playground


A New Haven man was sentenced to 35 years in prison on Thursday for his role in the killing of a rideshare driver whose body was dumped in a park in Woodbridge in 2021, officials said.

Jorden Rudel, 27, was sentenced by Judge Gerald L. Harmon after pleading guilty in New Haven Superior Court to a charge of felony murder following an investigation into the fatal shooting of 33-year-old Rondell Atkinson on June 7, 2021, according to the Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice.

Multiple law enforcement agencies investigated the homicide that culminated in a trial of Rudel’s co-defendant, Rickey Traynham, in May 2023.

According to the arrest warrant affidavits in the case, Atkinson, a West Haven man who worked for New Haven’s ride service for seniors and ride-sharing services like Uber, was targeted by Rudel and Traynham in a robbery plot at the Pease Road Playground in Woodbridge.

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Rudel reportedly told family members after the killing that he and a friend attempted to rob a driver who previously helped him with “off the books” rides before shooting him upon realizing the victim could identify them, court records showed.

Atkinson’s body was left at the Alegi Athletic Fields in Woodbridge, where he was found by a jogger the morning after he was killed, according to the affidavits.

Four days after the shooting, detectives found Atkinson’s car near a dumpster in an apartment parking lot in New Haven, about a half-mile away from where Traynham lived. They found Traynham’s fingerprints on the vehicle and were able to track down a woman whose phone was the last device to connect to the car’s Bluetooth stereo, court records showed. The woman told investigators she had sex with Traynham in the backseat of the car a day or two after the murder, according to court records.

An investigation also showed that Traynham and Rudel unsuccessfully tried to withdraw money from Atkinson’s bank accounts through Cash App following his death, court records showed.

Traynham was found in possession of the two murder weapons when police arrested him on July 11, 2021, according to officials.

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A Superior Court jury on May 30, 2023, found Traynham guilty of murder, and he was sentenced by Judge Elpedio N. Vitale to 80 years in prison on Aug.4, 2023.

“We are grateful to the Woodbridge Police Department, Connecticut State Police, and Division of Scientific Services for their tireless work on this investigation,” State’s Attorney John P. Doyle, Jr. said in a release on Thursday. “We appreciate all of Rondell’s family and friends who showed up at Rudel’s sentencing today to let the court know of the positive impact Rondell’s life had on his community and how much he will be missed. Although Rondell can never be replaced, we hope the sentences of these two defendants have brought a sense of justice and closure to all of those impacted.”



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Connecticut

Smoke from MA fire noticed from Southington to New Haven

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Smoke from MA fire noticed from Southington to New Haven


GREAT BARRINGTON, MA (WFSB) – Smoke from a large fire in Massachusetts wafted into Connecticut.

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said on Tuesday morning that smoke from the fire in Great Barrington traveled south into the state.

“Many residents from Southington to New Haven and beyond may be noticing a strong smell of smoke and haze [Tuesday] morning,” DEEP said.

DEEP said that Tuesday’s weather conditions caused smoke to spread widely and stay close to the ground. That’s what made it more noticeable.

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“Local officials are monitoring the situation,” it said. “If you’re sensitive to smoke, consider staying indoors and keeping windows closed until conditions improve.”

More on the forecast can be read in the technical discussion from Channel 3’s meteorologists here.



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Connecticut

Serious crash in downtown Stamford causes road closure

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Serious crash in downtown Stamford causes road closure


A serious car crash closed a busy road in downtown Stamford on Monday night.

The police department said Washington Boulevard is closed at the intersection with Bridge Street because of a serious crash.

Drivers are being asked to stay away from the area.

No additional information was immediately available.

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Connecticut

Immigration advocates vow to fight Trump deportation plans

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Immigration advocates vow to fight Trump deportation plans


Immigration advocates say they’ve already been preparing for President-elect Donald Trump’s pledge to ramp up deportations once he returns to the White House.

“We anticipate that they’re going to be very quick, very rapid, very massive efforts to grab as many people as possible and deport them,” National Immigration Law Center President Kica Matos said during a rally outside the Capitol on Monday.

Matos said hers and other organizations began considering possible actions earlier this year in case Trump won.

Now, Trump is promising to deliver on his campaign pledge, taking to his Truth Social platform earlier in the morning to confirm he plans to declare a national emergency.

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He also intends to try and use the military to support his deportation effort, his post confirmed.

Advocates said they’re trying to assume undocumented immigrants in Connecticut that their organizations will offer support.

“If families have to be separated, it defeats the point completely because people are trying to get to the United States to be with their families,” said Tabitha Sookdeo, executive director of CT Students For a Dream.

Sookdeo said her family came from Guyana when she was a teenager and her grandmother, who was a U.S. citizen, was trying to help them also get permanent legal status.

Her grandmother died during the process, though, leaving Sookdeo’s family in limbo.

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“Immigration is pretty complicated,” she said.

Democrats, meanwhile, said they won’t support federal deportation efforts.

Attorney General William Tong (D) pointed to the state’s Trust Act, which bars local and state agencies from cooperating with federal immigration enforcement efforts.

“Connecticut is going to care for our immigrant families and immigrant neighbors and friends,” Tong said.

There are some exceptions, including when an undocumented immigrant is convicted of a Class A or Class B felony. Tong wouldn’t say if that means Connecticut has to notify federal authorities of such a conviction.

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“I’m not going to issue a legal opinion on the fly from this podium,” Tong said.

Connecticut Republicans were critical of Democrats, though, saying their policies don’t reflect what voters want.

Rep. Vincent Candelora (R-Minority Leader) said Connecticut spends too much money supporting undocumented immigrants, including with Medicaid, education and other assistance.

He also said voters are worried about public safety.

“It’s really out of step, I think, with what the residents and America wants, and that is, you know, safe borders, public safety and we have to get the cost of immigration under control,” Candelora said.

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