Police believe a 54-year-old mother and her 22-year-old son with special needs from Connecticut — who died after their SUV was submerged in the Housatonic River last July — was a murder-suicide.
Connie Crowell and her son, Jack, drowned on July 31, 2020, in what investigators believe was not an accidental incident in the least, according to the Monroe Sun, WFSB, and the Valley Independent Sentinel.
Both the mother and son lived in Monroe. Jack graduated from Masuk High School in 2017.
Seymour Deputy Police Chief Roberto Rinaldi announced the news in a press statement.
“On the day of the incident, a boater who was in the area, observed the vehicle go into the water and went to assist and provide rescue efforts,” Rinaldi’s statement reads. “The boater made numerous attempts to rescue the occupants of the vehicle. However, Connie Crowell refused to acknowledge or accept the boater’s assistance and rescue efforts.”
Police said how the SUV entered the water just before 4 p.m. that afternoon, adding the mom deliberately steered the vehicle towards Lake Ousatonic, which is part of the river. The vehicle entered the water near Roosevelt Drive in Seymour.
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But when rescuers discovered the vehicle, it was upside down, in the water.
“After a lengthy investigation by the Seymour Police Detective Division, this incident has been determined (a) homicide/suicide,” reads Rinaldi’s statement.
According to a report in the Sun this past summer, Connie was well known in the community for her efforts with Alcohol and Drug Awareness of Monroe (ADAM) — which is a group that educates young people on the potential dangers of substance abuse.
Joseph Kobza shared with the outlet how he worked closely with her when he was principal of Masuk High School.
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“She volunteered her time, pretty much my whole time at Masuk,” Kobza said.
“If it wasn’t on ADAM, it was the Parents Council. She was one of the driving forces in coordinating our forum on underage drinking.”
In addition, he stated how well loved Jack was.
“Everybody loved Jack,” Kobza said. “He was always happy, always smiling. He just brightened up everyone’s days.”
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