State Police Await Forensics Report In Rebong Murder Case

By Andrew Gorosko

State police detectives are awaiting a forensics report on their reconstruction of the murder of Mark Rebong, in their continuing investigation into the circumstances of the Newtown man’s fatal shooting while he was traveling to work in Danbury in January.

The report is a project of Dr Henry Lee, the renowned forensic scientist who conducts investigations of difficult criminal cases for the state police.

Sergeant Warren Hyatt, a state police detective who has been working on the case since Mr Rebong was shot January 17, said state police are preparing a poster with a picture of Mr Rebong, plus salient facts about his mysterious death, which will be distributed in seeking information from the public about his murder.

“Things are progressing. We continue to be optimistic,” Sgt Hyatt said of the continuing investigation into the violent death of the 28 year-old. The detective declined to provide any specifics about the status of the case.

In the glare of floodlights late April 25, Dr Lee and a large team of state police investigators meticulously reconstructed the dynamics of Mr Rebong’s shooting on westbound Interstate-84. The detectives walked along Exit 2, watching, measuring, and photographing the slow progress of a black Jeep Cherokee as it was driven through the area where Mr Rebong was shot once in the head late at night while driving to work at the nearby Danbury Hilton and Towers. The Jeep used in the crime reconstruction is the one that Mr Rebong was driving when he was shot.

In reconstructing Mr Rebong’s murder, state police were seeking to determine the possible ways in which he was shot, Sgt Hyatt said.

Mark Rebong was the son of Dr Efren Rebong, a psychiatrist at Danbury Hospital. The Rebong family, friends, and colleagues are offering a $20,000 reward as an incentive to people who may know the circumstances of Mr Rebong’s death and provide state police with information leading to the arrest of his killer.

Sergeant J. Paul Vance, a state police spokesman, said it is unclear when Dr Lee’s report will be provided to investigators. Sgt Vance said he expects that a general summary of the murder reconstruction report will be made public when the full report is issued to investigators.

State police received an emergency 911 telephone call about 11 pm January 17, reporting a motor vehicle accident on the westbound I-84 Exit 2 off-ramp. On arriving at the scene, state police found Mr Rebong gravely wounded inside the Jeep, in a grassy area against the fence of a commuter parking lot, where the vehicle had rolled after he was shot. Mr Rebong died the following night at Danbury Hospital.

Investigators are trying to learn if Mr Rebong’s shooting death was a case of road rage, a drive-by shooting, or a revenge killing. State police have discounted robbery as a motive.

Anyone with any information about the shooting incident is asked to contact state police at 800/376-1554 or 203/267-2200.