Date: Fri 19-Feb-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDYG

Quick Words:

Garner-murder-Briggaman

Full Text:

Garner Inmate Murdered In His Cell

BY ANDREW GOROSKO

State police have charged a Garner Correctional Institution inmate with

capital felony murder in the March 17 strangulation death of his cellmate in

the high-security prison on Nunnawauk Road.

State police spokesman Lt Ralph Carpenter said Thursday state police

detectives charged inmate John Barletta, 28, with capital felony murder late

Wednesday afternoon after investigating the death of his cellmate Kenneth

Briggaman, 44, in Cell G-102 of Garner about 1:30 am that day. Barletta

already is serving a 60-year murder sentence.

After an autopsy, the office of the Chief State's Medical Examiner ruled that

Briggaman's death was a homicide caused by strangulation, Lt Carpenter said.

Barletta, who was being held on a $1 million bond even though he is already

incarcerated in Garner, was scheduled to be arraigned on the charge Thursday

morning in Danbury Superior Court.

There appeared to be some sort of altercation in the locked Cell G-102 between

Barletta and Briggaman, after which Briggaman was found dead in his cell, Lt

Carpenter said. Briggaman had been moved into Barletta's cell on Tuesday.

State Department of Correction (DOC) spokeswoman Christina Polce said Barletta

has been incarcerated by DOC since December 1992.

If convicted of a capital felony murder charge, Barletta could face the death

penalty. State law provides that an inmate who is serving a life term for

murder may be charged with capital felony murder if he kills another inmate.

Briggaman reportedly was serving a five-year sentence on a first-degree

robbery charge. He was from Newington.

David LaPointe, president of the correction officers' union, said correction

officer Joe Fabiano was making his rounds in the Cellblock G about 1:30 am on

March 17 when Barletta called to him and indicated that Briggaman was dead,

allegedly admitting that he had strangled Briggaman while he was sleeping.

LaPointe said the murder is indicative of the difficult working conditions

which correction officers face in state prisons.

"It's a very volatile environment, every day, a very stressful environment,"

he said. On March 13, a Garner inmate became involved in a fight with a

correction officer, biting the officer on the chin.

The state police Western District Major Crime Squad investigated the homicide

with the aid of the DOC's security division.