Leon Stetson, 67, of Winsted, is facing murder charges after a woman was killed in her home earlier this week, state police said.
Police responded to a home on Oak Street in Winsted on June 8 around 9:41 p.m. after receiving a report of blood found in the bathroom and no response from anyone inside.
Officers entered through an open front door and discovered blood on the sink and vanity in the upstairs bathroom. In a nearby bedroom, they found 54-year-old Carrie Stetson dead. Leon Stetson was also present and seriously injured.
Medical response and death
Officers checked Carrie Stetson for a pulse and signs of breathing but found neither. Leon Stetson was twitching and breathing irregularly.
Officers repositioned Leon Stetson to provide medical aid and found a four-inch cut on his neck, applying gauze to control the bleeding.
Ambulance crews treated both individuals at the scene. Leon Stetson was taken to Winsted Health Care, then flown to Hartford Hospital in critical condition. Carrie Stetson was pronounced dead at the scene at 10:16 p.m.
A protective order had barred Leon Stetson from contacting Carrie Stetson since April 15. The order listed the residence as the protected address and was set to remain in effect until July 27.
Hospital statement and arrest
On June 9 around 7:30 p.m., Hartford Hospital contacted Winsted Police Department with an update on Leon Stetson, saying he was awake, alert, and writing a confession on paper.
State police detectives arrived at Hartford Hospital around 8:05 p.m. and obtained the paper Leon Stetson had written. They spoke with him while he remained alert and awake, communicating through a marker and paper.
Leon Stetson was told he could stop answering questions at any time. Detectives asked questions aloud, and he wrote his responses on paper.
Leon Stetson wrote that he had tried to kill himself after the attack. The papers were collected as evidence.
Investigation findings
Video footage from Walnut Street showed a silver Chevrolet Malibu, matching a vehicle registered to Leon Stetson, driving slowly past a location next to the residence around 1:59 p.m. on June 8. The vehicle was later found at 177 Walnut Street.
Police obtained a search warrant for Leon Stetson’s cell phone and found messages in the Messenger application.
Investigators found no signs of forced entry at the residence. They collected evidence, including blood samples and a knife found near where Carrie Stetson and Leon Stetson were discovered.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner performed an autopsy on June 9 and ruled the death a homicide caused by sharp force injuries.
The protective order against Leon Stetson had been issued following an April 15 incident, when he was arrested for disorderly conduct, interfering with a 911 call, and second-degree criminal mischief. The order required him to surrender all firearms and ammunition and barred him from assaulting, threatening, abusing, harassing, following, interfering with, or stalking Carrie Stetson. It also required him to stay away from her home.
Leon Stetson was arrested on an active warrant at Hartford Hospital on Thursday.
Troopers charged him with murder, home invasion, and criminal violation of a protective order.
He was unable to post his $3 million bond. He was scheduled to appear before a judge on Friday; however, the case was continued to June 23.
Carrie Stetson owned Railway Cafe on Main Street in Winsted.
Businesses in the downtown area have been sharing their support for her.