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How Connecticut police tied an alleged drug dealer to a college student’s death

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How Connecticut police tied an alleged drug dealer to a college student’s death


Text message correspondences, video surveillance and DNA evidence led authorities to an alleged drug dealer during a five-month investigation following the tragic death of a Central Connecticut State University student in February.

Brandon Maynard, 22, of Danbury, was arrested last week on charges of second-degree manslaughter and sale of a controlled substance after CCSU detectives were allegedly able to tie him to the cocaine and fentanyl Saradina “Sara” Redman used before she was found unresponsive in the university’s F. Don James Residence Hall on Feb. 26 around 9:52 a.m., according to the arrest warrant affidavit in the case.

Investigators with the CCSU Police Department used cell phone records and surveillance footage to retrace the hours that led to Redman’s death, the affidavit said. Redman, a 21-year-old senior from Indonesia who was studying bio-molecular science, was pronounced dead at about 11:02 a.m. at the Hospital of Central Connecticut. An autopsy ruled on March 28 that her death was an accident caused by the combined effects of fentanyl, cocaine and olanzapine, according to the warrant affidavit.

But even before the autopsy was concluded investigators had searched Redman’s dorm room and a common bathroom and found a white straw that was melted on one end, a cylindrical vial with possible white residue inside, a clear piece of cellophane, folded pieces of foil with burnt areas and an empty bottle of a medication that had been prescribed to her, according to the warrant affidavit. Detectives noted in the affidavit that some of the items suggested use of illegal narcotics and began trying to find the source of the narcotics.

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Upon examining Redman’s cell phone with a search and seizure warrant, authorities found that she communicated with a contact saved as “Brandon” the night before she died. At about 9:26 p.m., the contact sent a text message to Redman indicating he was “headed there now” before telling her he was “pullin (sic) up” about 15 minutes later, the affidavit said.

Detectives noted in the warrant affidavit that the text message correspondences were consistent with video surveillance footage that showed Redman waited in the lobby of her residence hall for a few minutes before approaching a motorist who pulled outside of the building at about 9:45 p.m.

According to the affidavit, Redman leaned into the vehicle for about 30 seconds before heading back to her residence hall and sending a text message to “Brandon” asking “which one is the fent.”

Detectives were able to use the phone number saved under “Brandon” to tie it to Maynard, as he was arrested by Hartford police on April 12 on possession and possession with intent to sell charges after investigators coordinated a controlled drug purchase with him through the same phone number, the warrant affidavit said. Maynard has never been a student at CCSU, according to a university spokesperson.

CCSU authorities also discovered Redman sent $65 using CashApp to someone using a username allegedly tied to Maynard about 40 minutes before he told her through a text message he was on his way. Police also found that a vehicle matching the description of the one Redman leaned into outside of her dorm building was registered to Maynard’s relative, who confirmed to authorities she had loaned the vehicle to Maynard, according to the affidavit.

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CCSU police in April seized Maynard’s cell phone and examined it, finding data consistent with the text message correspondences between he and Redman as well as other text messages with another person that indicated he allegedly was involved in the sale of drugs, the affidavit said. The GPS data on the phone also indicated Maynard was on the CCSU campus the night before Redman was found unresponsive.

Authorities also noted that Maynard’s DNA was allegedly found on a cylindrical container discovered at the scene, according to the warrant.

Maynard agreed to speak with investigators when they collected a DNA sample from him on May 24, at which point he allegedly admitted to supplying Redman with “weed and coke” but denied ever giving her fentanyl, according to the warrant affidavit.

Redman – who was remembered with a moment of silence at CCSU in March and the tolling of the university’s clock tower bells – also had text message correspondences with her boyfriend and a friend in Indonesia that spanned from the night before she was found unresponsive into the early morning hours in which she referenced being “high” and telling her boyfriend that she was sweating and very hot despite having a window open and the heat off, according to the affidavit.

During a text conversation with a friend, Redman told her she just bought “coke and fent,” referring to the latter as a “deadly drug” and adding that she “can’t believe I have it,” according to the warrant.

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Redman stopped responding to her boyfriend at about 2:27 a.m. the morning she was found without a pulse after earlier sending a photo that showed her face was “red and sweating,” according to the warrant. The boyfriend told investigators he assumed she had fallen asleep.

The warrant for Maynard’s arrest was signed by a judge on Aug. 3. He was arrested by CCSU police six days later and remains held on $150,000 bond. He did not enter a plea to the charges he faces during a hearing in New Britain Superior Court last week.

Maynard is due back in New Britain for a court appearance next Thursday, August 24.

The drug charges he faces stemming from a Hartford arrest are still pending. He is scheduled to appear in Hartford Superior Court on Tuesday, August 22.



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Connecticut

Library in South Windsor wraps up 14th annual Gingerbread House Festival

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Library in South Windsor wraps up 14th annual Gingerbread House Festival


Some people found a sweet escape from Sunday’s frigid winter temperatures. A chance to step outside the cold and into a different snowy environment.

It just made it feel like Christmas,” said Michael Mizla, of Manchester.

“We try to do this every year,” said Susan, Mizla’s wife.

Sunday was the last day to check out a festive, holiday tradition at the Wood Memorial Library and Museum in South Windsor – The 14th Annual Gingerbread House Festival, which organizers say is one of the largest gingerbread house festivals in New England.

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“People have made this their tradition,” said the library’s executive director Carolyn Venne. “We see the same large Vermont family every year the day after Thanksgiving on opening day. So, as people come in to see family locally, this becomes part of their tradition, and that makes it all meaningful for us.”

These gingerbread houses are on display in multiple rooms and floors throughout the library for weeks, from late November to just before Christmas.

“We probably range from about 75 to 150, and I think one year we topped out around 200,” said Venne.

Venne says behind these intricate candy creations are bakers, students, and community members.

At the end of the day, the gingerbread houses went to some lucky raffle winners or were donated to a nursing home in the area.

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Those who needed to do some last-minute holiday shopping, were covered – just like the icing on these graham cracker homes – as people could visit the library’s ‘Ye Old Gingerbread Shoppe’ and take some of the magic home with them.

“The holidays are full of things you remember as a kid, so it just feels like the kind of tradition you will remember as you grow up.”

While Sunday was the last day to immerse yourself in these festive, edible villages, there are more holiday traditions coming up at the library, including a Christmas concert next Saturday at 1:30 p.m.



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Connecticut farmers to benefit from federal disaster relief package

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Connecticut farmers to benefit from federal disaster relief package


Funding to help farmers impacted by disaster is on the way for those who have been seeking help.

That’s one aspect of what came out of a vote in Washington D.C. that in part prevented a government shutdown.

A 13 minute hailstorm in August destroyed William Dellacamera’s crops and cost him $400,000. He was only able to receive a little less than half of that from programs already in place.

“From that day on, basically everything I had grown for the season was destroyed,” said Dellacamera of Cecarelli’s Harrison Hill Farm.

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He’s become known locally for driving his tractor from Connecticut to Washington D.C., advocating for more state and federal funding for farmers like him.

In his travels, he landed meetings with the USDA and Connecticut’s delegation.

“I think they’re taking it seriously, and they did. They took it seriously,” said Dellacamera.

President Biden signed a disaster relief bill into law, advocated for in part by Connecticut’s delegation.

Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro says Connecticut has lost 460 farms over the last five years, primarily related to weather events that put their livelihoods at stake.

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“I am pleased that we have an agreement on $100 billion in disaster aid,” said DeLauro on the House Floor Friday, who advocated for the bill.

As part of that, Connecticut farmers like Dellacamera will be able to tap into $23 million of relief from crop losses, according to Representative John Larson.

“Now knowing this is going to make a difference is a big deal. And I hope it does, I hope it does make a difference,” said Dellacamera.

Also part of the bill, DeLauro advocated for a block grant of $220 million that’s only for small and medium-sized farmers who have lost crops in 2023 and 2024.

All of New England would fit in the parameters for the grant, allowing farmers to get help without crop insurance or a national disaster declaration.

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“We came to a conclusion that these were all of the pieces that were needed to move forward,” said DeLauro on the House Floor Friday, about the bill as a whole.

DeLauro’s team tells us that disaster relief funding will go from the USDA to the states to get payments out.

 Dellacamera says he’s grateful, and there’s more work to be done.  He hopes this block grant and general disaster relief funding will be able to live on.

“It takes the red tape out of it a little bit,” said Dellacamera of the block grant. “Hopefully it could be funded into the future, you know, as it might be needed more and more,” he said.

In the meantime, the state of Connecticut will be identifying which farmers experienced disasters in 2023 and 2024 to see who would benefit from block grant funding.

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Gifts of Love provides for Connecticut families in crisis

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Gifts of Love provides for Connecticut families in crisis


AVON, Conn. (WTNH) — Hundreds of families were given the opportunity to make their holidays brighter Saturday with a trip to Gift of Love’s annual Holiday Shop in Avon. In its 15th year, the Holiday Shop has been able to help 400 clients from 40 different towns across Connecticut since the shop opened on Friday. […]



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