Connecticut town sees its first murder in 21 years, and it's a doozy

RIDGEFIELD, CT - Authorities with the Ridgefield Police Department (RPD) have confirmed that an 83-year-old man was murdered inside of his own home, marking the first murder in the quiet Connecticut town in 21 years.

According to reports, the suspect has been identified as the victim's son, 31-year-old Steven James Uricchio. He has been arrested and is facing murder charges. He reportedly admitted to police that he had killed his dad, saying, "I murdered him." He then paused and said, "Really, really badly."

The victim, identified as Marc Uricchio, was pronounced dead at the scene. RPD police responded to a report of a domestic incident at 1:00 a.m. on Saturday, August 3rd, at a residence located on Powderhorn Drive. According to the NewsTimes, Marc Uricchio died as a result of sharp force and blunt force trauma to his head, neck, torso, and extremities, as reported by the chief medical examiner.

Steve Uricchio was arraigned in state Superior Court in Danbury on Monday, August 5th. In the police report, responding officers detailed the crime scene. Inside of the home, officers saw drops of blood on the steps and blood on both sides of the wall. They also found a bloodied filet-style knife at the top of the stairs, as noted in the report. The father was found lying on the floor of his bedroom allegedly with some of his organs found outside of his body.

While in court, Steven Uricchio did not enter a plea. Instead, he slumped over the defense table during the proceedings and after that, a judge ordered a competency review to determine the suspect's ability to stand trial at this time. Steven Uricchio's attorney noted that his client has a significant mental health history.

According to police, it appeared that Steven lived at the address with his father and does not have any other addresses listed. After police detained Steven Uricchio, he informed them that he had ingested a quarter of a bottle of Advil earlier that morning. Officers took him to a hospital where he was evaluated. He was later discharged and brought back to the police station, where he was being held on a $1.5 million bond.

Police Captain Jeffrey Raines, the department's public information officer, said that the homicide was Ridgefield's first since 2003. He said that a deadly incident like this "shakes the town up," add that "this is a very safe community." Raines said that the officers appear to be coping well in the aftermath of responding to such a gruesome murder scene.

He said, "Everybody here is doing good. We have things in place. It changed. I think back in the day, we didn't show emotion. So for a scene like this, we were able to put a lot in the back of our minds." He explained that the police department has adopted practices that enable officers to emotionally process and discuss the impacts of these types of traumatic events.

The homicide was a disturbance in an otherwise quiet neighborhood that consists of large single-family homes with manicured lawns. First Selectperson Rudy Marconi described the incident as "a shocking occasion here," adding, "It's a situation, an incident that we're not used to." Marconi said, "It's a shocking occasion here. A very sad day for the family, for the individuals involved. The community will move forward. My condolences to the rest of the family for whatever they are going through."

The First Selectperson said that police and other first responders did a "find job with what they had to deal with." Marconi added, "It was a horrific scene. It's unfortunate and especially for the officers, and the fire department, ambulance that responded. To those individuals, I'm concerned for them and making sure they get the proper counseling necessary."