Testimony Begins In Gowdy Murder Trial

By Andrew Gorosko

DANBURY — Five witnesses for the state testified Wednesday in Danbury Superior Court at the trial of two men charged in the July 1999 murder of 15-year-old Jason Gowdy of Sandy Hook. They described the events that occurred before, during, and after the fatal shooting at the corner of Riverside Road and Cherry Street.

Riverside Road resident Maggie Thompson testified that when she heard a popping noise near her home about 8 pm, Saturday, July 10, 1999, she initially did not make much of it, thinking it was a bottle rocket being launched by someone a few days after the Fourth of July holiday.

But shortly thereafter, Ms Thompson, an off-duty Norwalk police officer, heard a commotion coming from neighbors in the street. Ms Thompson was soon to find Jason Gowdy lying on his back alongside Riverside Road, bleeding from a head wound. Ms Thompson said she called for people to place a 911 call to summon an emergency response.

Ms Thompson testified that she checked Gowdy’s vital signs and put towels to his head to stop the bleeding. She said she heard a siren approaching in the distance.

“It was pretty apparent at that point that he was going to die. I gave him his last rites and I blessed him,” as she waited for police to arrive, she said.

Ruperto Lugo, 20, of Stratford, and Alejandro Melendez, 21, of Bridgeport, are both charged in the Gowdy murder. Public defender Paul Eschuk represents Lugo. Private attorney Gary Mastronardi represents Melendez.

Lugo and Melendez each are charged with felony murder, attempted first-degree robbery, conspiracy to commit first-degree robbery, carrying a pistol without a permit, and possession of a weapon in a motor vehicle. The state has dropped charges of committing a felony with a firearm against the two men. Both men were 19 when arrested. Both men have been held on $1 million bonds since being charged three days after the shooting. Both are facing potential life sentences.

The state has offered plea bargains to the defendants, which they have not accepted.

Newtown police Sergeant James Mooney provided details on the 911 call which police received after Gowdy was shot.

The eight-woman, four-man jury heard the recording in court where Judge Gary White is presiding at the trial. Assistant State’s Attorney Devin Stilson is the prosecutor.

On the 911 call, a female caller reports the shooting incident to police, saying she had heard a noise which sounded like a firecracker going off, but added that there’s a person lying on the ground near the street outside. The tape contains multiple conversations including the conversation between the caller and the police dispatcher, conversations between the dispatcher and police being sent to the shooting scene, conversations in the police dispatching booth, and the dispatcher summoning an ambulance.

Newtown police patrolman Robert Haas testified he was among the first officers to reach the shooting scene at 33 Riverside Road. Officer Haas said he secured the crime scene and found witnesses to the incident. In checking the scene, he found two bullet casings lying in the road, he said. Newtown police called in the state police’s major crime squad for evidence collection, he said.

On Wednesday, Stilson received testimony from two of the three females who had traveled from Bridgeport to Sandy Hook with Lugo and Melendez on the night that Gowdy was killed.

Witness Alexis Barnett, 21, said she was in the 1989 Chevrolet Beretta with Barbara Carleton and Mary Pires, plus Lugo and Melendez.

The group purchased beer, gin, and fortified wine, as well as some marijuana, in Bridgeport, Barnett said. Pires had said the people in Newtown were stupid and could be taken advantage of to obtain marijuana, in urging the group to travel there, according to Barnett.

Lugo initially was unwilling to travel to Newtown, but eventually agreed to go there, provided that he could bring along a male friend, Barnett said. Lugo found Melendez, and the five then decided to head to Newtown, Barnett added.

Before departing, Melendez said he wanted to return to his home so he could drop off his identification because he was wanted by police on arrest warrants, according to Barnett.

The five traveled up Route 8 to Waterbury and then on Interstate 84 toward Newtown. While traveling to Newtown, the group was drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana, Barnett said.

Barnett said she saw that Melendez had a pistol on him as they were traveling on the highway. Lugo asked to see the weapon and Melendez showed it to him, Barnett said. The gun was kept hidden beneath the car’s dashboard in the event the vehicle was stopped by police, she said.

On reaching Newtown, the group stopped briefly on Church Hill Road in Sandy Hook seeking marijuana, but found none, Barnett said.

Driving onward to Riverside Road, Pires saw Gowdy and two of his friends walking along Riverside Road, Barnett said. As they approached the three males, Pires had told the group in the car that one of the three males had told her that he was a Latin King gang member, Barnett testified, in an apparent reference to Gowdy.

Pires had Carleton, who was driving, stop the car, and Pires got out to talk to the boys, Barnett said. The car then moved away, turned around and returned to where the three males were standing.

Barnett testified that she saw Lugo reach under the car dashboard and remove the pistol, placing it in his waistband.

Lugo then got out of the car and Lugo and Pires spoke to the males, after which Pires got back into the car, Barnett said.

While outside the car, Lugo asked the boys for marijuana and they told Lugo that they had none, Barnett said. Lugo then asked the boys for change for a $20 bill and they told Lugo they had none, she said. Lugo then asked Gowdy for a gold chain he was wearing around his neck but Gowdy resisted, Barnett added.

Someone was pushed up against the Chevrolet and there was gunfire, Barnett said. She said her vision of the incident was obscured. Barnett said she did not see Lugo shoot Gowdy but heard a gunshot.

Lugo then got back into the car, she said.

“I shot him. I can’t believe I shot him,” Lugo then said, according to Barnett. The people in the car were in a state of shock, Barnett said.

Carelton then drove off quickly toward I-84, Barnett said.

Melendez said Lugo should have shot all three people, adding that if Gowdy was not dead, Lugo should go back and kill him, Barnett said.

Lugo gave the pistol back to Melendez, who put it in his waistband, Barnett said.

The group then returned to Melendez’s house, after which they went out for more beer and pizza, she said.

In court testimony, Carleton, 20, who is Lugo’s former girlfriend, said that after Lugo received negative responses after seeking change and marijuana from the three males on Riverside Road, Lugo pulled out the pistol and said he wanted Gowdy’s gold chain.

Carleton said she told Lugo to get back into the car.

Lugo demanded the chain, but Gowdy resisted.

Gowdy told Lugo that he was Latin Kings gang member and that Lugo should not attack him, or there would be people after him, Carleton said.

A scuffle ensued and the gun went off. Gowdy fell to the ground and the two other males ran off, Carleton testified. Lugo then got back into the car and told her to drive off, Carleton said.

It was a quiet ride back to Bridgeport and Lugo held her hand as they traveled, she said.

“Alex [Melendez] said he was glad to see ‘bodies’ on his gun and he was glad to see [stuff] like this happen,” Carleton said.

Carleton said she told Lugo, “You killed him.”

“No, he’s not dead,” Lugo responded, according to Carleton.

In seeking to formally damage Carelton’s testimony, Eschuk told jury members that Carelton was convicted of second-degree larceny in November 1998, and currently has charges of second-degree assault, third-degree assault, and third-degree criminal mischief pending against her.

Testimony from several Newtown police officers involved in the murder investigation was scheduled for Thursday, April 5.

Jason Gowdy had lived with his father, David Gowdy, with Mr Gowdy’s wife, and with his two stepsisters on Pine Street in Sandy Hook. Gowdy was a student at Henry Abbott Vocational Technical School in Danbury.