The Lost and the Found

Deceased was found burning in a pile of tires on the side of the highway. Her hands and feet had been removed and never recovered.

https://www.thehour.com/news/article/A-brief-history-of-murder-in-Westport-8114655.php

A brief history of murder in Westport
Steve Kobak

Published 7:00 pm, Friday, December 9, 2011

Murders in Westport are indeed a rare occurrence.


Prior to Thursday's robbery-homicide, the last murder in Westport occurred in May 1996 when Stuart Hunter gunned down his estranged wife Harriet S. Hunter at the Temple Israel Religious School, where Harriet worked as a secretary. Stuart Hunter shot his wife twice in the head with a .357 Magnum before turning the gun on himself. The couple had been going through a messy divorce in which Stuart was accused of physically abusing his wife, and Harriet Hunter had taken out a restraining order against Stuart Hunter.

The mid-to-late-1980s were somewhat of an anomaly for the town, as a total of six murders were reported in Westport.

The peak came in 1985 when three murders were recorded. The year began with the robbery-murder of Louis P. Verda , who was shot to death and robbed by a man who rented a room at his home and an associate of the tenant. In June, two men installing carpet in a vacant office building got into a fight that ended with one of the men — Bryan Giordano — stabbing the other — Hector Fraser — several times with a carpet knife. Fraser later died at the hospital. Mark J. Iorio, 18, shot 19-year-old Christopher Costello to death during a dispute between Westport youths and Fairfield teens regarding two cases of stolen beer in November 1985. Surprisingly, none of the men convicted of the 1985 murders are currently in prison.

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/836ufct.html

836UFCT - Unidentified Female



Date of Discovery: May 19, 1985
Location of Discovery: Westport, Fairfield County, Connecticut
Estimated Date of Death: 1985 to 1985
State of Remains: Not recognizable - Charred/burned
Cause of Death: Unknown

Physical Description
Estimated Age: 30-40 years old
Race: Black
Gender: Female
Height: 5'0", Estimated
Weight: 110 lbs., Estimated
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Unknown

Identifiers
Dentals: Not Available
Fingerprints: Not Available
DNA: Available

Clothing & Personal Items
Clothing: Wool wrap around sweater, Russler blue jeans, and a bra with two safety pins as clasps.
Jewelry: Plain gold chain.
Additional Personal Items: Pack of Salem cigarettes in the sweater pocket.

Circumstances of Discovery
The decedent was found burning in a pile of tires in a wooded area off of the westbound shoulder of I-95, near the Sasco Creek overpass (west of exit 19). Her hands and feet had been removed and never recovered.

Investigating Agency(s)
Agency Name: State of Connecticut Chief Medical Examiner's Office
Agency Contact Person: Michelle Clark
Agency Phone Number: 860-679-3980
Agency E-Mail: N/A
Agency Case Number: F85-1184

Agency Name: Connecticut State Police
Agency Contact Person: Western District Major Crime Squad
Agency Phone Number: 203-696-2561 or 1-800-575-6330
Agency E-Mail: Wdist.mcs.sec(AT)po.state.ct.us
Agency Case Number: G-85-122994

NCIC Case Number: Unknown
NamUs Case Number: 10474

Information Source(s)
Namus
Connecticut Department of Public Safety

Admin Notes
Added: 2/20/12; Last Updated: 7/27/16