Updated

Updated · Fox News · Jun 25

Connecticut Police Charge 28-Year-Old Man With Murder in 26-Year-Old Woman's Staircase Death

Updated

Updated · Fox News · Jun 25

Connecticut Police Charge 28-Year-Old Man With Murder in 26-Year-Old Woman's Staircase Death

Q: He blamed her mental health for the fall, but what did bloodstains in five rooms reveal?

The bloodstains undermined Werhan’s claim that Brooke Murphy injured herself in a mental health episode and simply fell down the stairs. Investigators found blood-like evidence spread through multiple parts of the home, indicating violence occurred in more than one location, not just at the staircase. According to the reporting and court details, blood was found in at least five rooms or areas, including the bedroom, bathroom, hallway or stairs, dining or living areas, and kitchen, with additional staining also reported near the rear entry, deck, and driveway. That pattern suggested Murphy had been injured elsewhere in the house and that the incident was not confined to a single fall. The physical evidence matched other signs that contradicted Werhan’s account. Murphy’s cellphone screen was smashed, Werhan reportedly had a swollen hand and an injured finger he could not explain, and the medical examiner ruled her death a homicide caused by blunt force injury to the head. Her mother said a detective told the family Murphy had “wounds all over her.” Taken together, the blood evidence pointed to a broader assault scene rather than a self-inflicted episode ending in an accidental tumble down the stairs.

Q: After meeting one victim on Hinge, how many more women are now accusing this alleged serial abuser?

Four more women. The reporting says five women in total have come forward to accuse Cole Theodore Werhan of abuse. Since one of those women was the victim who said she met him on Hinge, that means four additional women are now accusing him. The broader reporting describes multiple allegations beyond the Hinge case, including other women who told investigators Werhan assaulted, threatened, or strangled them over several years. Prosecutors have cited those allegations in arguing he poses an extreme danger to the community.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 25

Cole Theodore Werhan, 28, was arrested Tuesday and charged with murdering Janina Brooke Murphy, 26, after Connecticut's medical examiner ruled her March death a homicide caused by blunt-force head injuries.
Murphy had been found at the bottom of a staircase in Werhan's Burlington home, where she had been living, and police had initially described the death as suspicious.
Court records show Werhan was already facing pending domestic-violence cases, including one in which a woman alleged he strangled, assaulted and threatened to kill her after they met on Hinge.
Prosecutors called Werhan an extreme danger to the community; he was arraigned Wednesday in Torrington Superior Court and is being held on a $5 million cash bond.
State police said the homicide investigation remains active, while Murphy's family said the ruling confirmed their belief that her death was not an accident.