Police Look To Commuters For Clues In Rebong Slaying

By Andrew Gorosko

DANBURY — State police have interviewed about 200 people overall in investigating the violent death of Mark F. Rebong, the Newtown man who was shot in the head late January 17 as he drove along Exit 2 of Interstate-84.

 State police detective Sergeant Warren Hyatt said Wednesday state police investigators late on January 24 – one week after the shooting – positioned themselves at westbound Exit 2-A and Exit 2-B, stopping passing motorists, asking them if they had witnessed the shooting or had information about the incident which took place about 11 pm January 17.

Investigators had made similar queries of passing motorists at the exit ramps late on January 18, one night after Mr Rebong, 28, was shot. Mr Rebong died January 18 at Danbury Hospital.

Responding to a report of a motor vehicle accident, state police had found the mortally wounded Mr Rebong in his Jeep Cherokee, which had come to rest alongside a fence near a commuter parking lot next to Exit 2. The driver’s side window of the Jeep had been shot out. Mr Rebong had been on his way to work at the Danbury Hilton & Towers, where he was the night auditor.  

A spokesman for the Office of the Chief State Medical Examiner said January 26 an autopsy conducted January 20 found that Mr Rebong was the victim of a homicide caused by a single gunshot wound to the head.

State police used the spot checks at the highway exit ramps to elicit information about the crime that they might not otherwise obtain, Sgt Hyatt said. “It’s always productive,” he said.

As state police detectives stopped passing motorists on the exit ramp January 24, other investigators questioned people at businesses in the vicinity, attempting to establish leads in the case, Sgt Hyatt said.

“We are making progress. Hopefully, we’ll continue to make progress,” he said. The detective declined to say whether police have located anyone who witnessed the shooting.

In the two nights of spot checks, state police interviewed about 125 people, Sgt Hyatt said. The other 75 people police have interviewed include members of the Rebong family, friends, and associates.

“It’s too early to make any speculations,” Sgt Hyatt said concerning someone’s motive for shooting Mr Rebong.

People who knew him said they found Mr Rebong to be very intelligent, the detective said.

“There’s a myriad of possibilities,” Sgt Hyatt said, adding police have developed various scenarios about the circumstances of Mr Rebong’s death.

It is difficult to say where the homicide investigation will lead, Sgt Hyatt said. State police want to talk to more people in investigating the death, he said. Investigators in the case may be contacted by calling 800/376-1554, or 203/267-2200. Police say that information that may seem insignificant to a caller may be instrumental in solving such a case. The Western District Major Crime Squad is investigating.

State police spokesman Sergeant J. Paul Vance said of the homicide investigation, “It’s being actively pursued. There are a few bits of information being investigated [but] nothing substantial at this time.” State police have received telephone calls from people who provided information, he said.

“There are things that investigators are looking into,” he added. The sergeant, however, declined to provide specifics about the investigation.

“An investigation such as this utilizes many, many different facets” of police work, including a search for witnesses, forensic work, and research into the background of the victim, he said.

Police are seeking motives on why someone would kill Mr Rebong, Sgt Vance said.

“Many times a homicide investigation takes weeks and weeks and weeks,” he said. As part of such an investigation, toxicology testing is done on the victim, he said.

“I think we’re optimistic. The investigators do have things they’re working on,” he said.

In light of the possibility that the person who shot Mr Rebong continued driving onward on westbound I-84 into New York State, Connecticut officials are seeking help from New York authorities in investigating the crime.