Connecticut
CT man takes plea deal for murder of ex-girlfriend found dead in woods near recycling center where he worked
A Connecticut man faces 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to the 2019 murder of his ex-girlfriend, a 31-year-old mother and nail salon owner from Meriden, officials said.
Jason Watson, 42, appeared in court in New Haven on Monday and pleaded guilty to murder in the death of Perrie Mason, whose charred and crushed body was found near a recycling center in Waterbury where Watson worked days after she went missing, according to the Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice.
Watson pleaded guilty as part of a plea agreement and is expected to be sentenced to 30 years in prison at a hearing in the new year, the DCJ said.
Watson was long described as the prime suspect in Mason’s disappearance after she went missing in August 2019, but was initially only charged in connection to a domestic violence incident between the couple, according to court records.
Court records show that Watson initially called police on Aug. 17, 2019, to say that Mason was either missing or staying at a friend’s house because “she was mad at him,” but police did not open a missing persons investigation until Mason’s sister called the next day. She told police that Mason and Watson had recently broken up after a series of arguments, including one that turned physical and showed investigators photos of injuries to Mason’s face and text messages in which she said Watson had choked her to the point she lost consciousness, records showed.
Investigators found the remains of Mason’s charred body in the woods behind Bay State Textiles where Watson worked on Aug. 21, 2019, according to the DCJ.
Investigators searching the woods found four layers of overlapped plastic garbage bags hiding the charred remains, court records revealed.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled that it appeared Mason was killed and then crushed before her remains were set ablaze, according to police.
Court records show that Watson was seen on security cameras driving Mason’s car to the recycling center where he worked and then at a Walmart buying lighter fluid, two rolls of plastic sheeting and a Minnie Mouse towel hours after she disappeared, according to court documents.
In June 2020, nearly 10 months after Mason’s body was found, Watson was arrested and charged with killing her, records show.
He is scheduled to be sentenced in New Haven Superior Court on Jan. 22, 2024, according to the DCJ.
New Haven State’s Attorney John P. Doyle, Jr. on Monday extended his condolences to Mason’s family and thanked investigators in Meriden, Waterbury and with Connecticut State Police for their efforts in the case, according to a statement from the DCJ.
Connecticut
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.
Connecticut
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.
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.
“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.
“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.
Connecticut
$25,000 Winning Lottery Ticket Claimed By Bridgeport Resident
BRIDGEPORT, CT — An unnamed Bridgeport resident is $25,000 richer this week after claiming a winning lottery ticket purchased in Norwalk, the Connecticut Lottery announced.
On Wednesday, the person claimed a winning 200X ticket that was bought at East Avenue Citgo on East Avenue.
The Connecticut Lottery publishes partial winner information as public record, according to officials.
The game, which costs $20 per ticket, began in February, and as of Monday, one grand prize of $1 million remained unclaimed.
More than 2.5 million game tickets have been printed, and the overall odds of winning are 1 in 3.21.
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