Inset: Leon Stetson (Connecticut State Police). Background: The home where authorities say the killing occurred in Winsted, Conn. (WVIT/YouTube).
Authorities in Connecticut say a 67-year-old man is accused of killing his estranged wife in a stabbing and then attempting to take his own life before the couple’s adult child made the horrifying discovery.
Leon Stetson has been charged with murder, home invasion, and violation of a protective order, according to court records cited by Connecticut State Police. He is being held on a $3 million bond.
The victim was identified by NBC Connecticut affiliate WVIT as 54-year-old Carrie Stetson.
According to an arrest warrant application reviewed by Law&Crime, the case began to unfold Monday evening when a woman went to the home and noticed what appeared to be blood in the bathroom. Investigators said no one inside answered her attempts to make contact, and the blood appeared to lead from the bathroom toward a bedroom.
The woman, who was accompanied by another person, alerted police to the scene. One of the two people who reported the discovery was believed to be one of Carrie Stetson’s children.
When officers entered the residence, they found Carrie Stetson unresponsive with a knife near her head. Police said she had no pulse and was not breathing, and she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Leon Stetson was nearby, and he was “observed twitching and presented with snoring respirations,” authorities said. He had an “exposed laceration approximately four inches long” on his neck and he “drifted in and out of consciousness.” Police believe he tried to kill himself after murdering his wife.
The defendant was treated at an area hospital — where he allegedly confessed to police. Leon Stetson allegedly wrote on a piece of paper, “You know how I did it.” The warrant application also says he shared how “things went south” and “things got ugly.”
As investigators spoke with Carrie Stetson’s child, they learned more details about the estranged couple. Leon Stetson was apparently addicted to crack cocaine, which caused “turmoil” in their lives.
They were worried the defendant would hurt the victim, and Carrie Stetson herself had an active protective order against Leon Stetson, police said. The arrest warrant is heavily redacted, but it mentions infidelity affecting their relationship, too.
An autopsy on Carrie Stetson confirmed that she died due to a homicide caused by sharp force injuries. Leon Stetson was arrested after receiving medical treatment.
