Peter Manfredonia
What brings a person to kill? That question faces authorities in the Peter Manfredonia case. They say he’s the person who murdered Theodore “Ted” DeMers, 62, and Nicholas Eisele, 23, at separate locations in a May crime spree in Connecticut. Taken at face value, details from a newly released arrest warrant would cast light on how the defendant described his own mental state.
Police say they spoke to the victim of a home invasion perpetrated by Manfredonia in Willington, according to the arrest warrant obtained by The News-Times. This survivor told investigators that he and the defendant made “small talk” for hours.
“I asked if he wants to talk about what took place with the murder and he told me that he hadn’t slept for five days and he just flipped,” said the homeowner. “He said he didn’t know why he did it and that he was remorseful for it.”
Manfredonia’s attorney Michael Dolan told Law&Crime over the phone that they are waiting for discovery, and will put up a “robust defense.”
The chase spanned days and crossed multiple state lines, police said. According to cops, they got a 911 call that led them to find Demers shot dead on May 22 in Willington. Manfredonia was soon identified as the suspect, and a manhunt ensued. Officers found an abandoned vehicle in Derby on the 24th. That same day, Willington police discovered that Manfredonia committed a home invasion, stealing guns and a vehicle. Later, Derby cops got a 911 call for a well-being check at a local residence; this resulted in the discovery of Eisele.
The manhunt crossed state lines, with sightings of the suspect being reported out of New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. He was later arrested in Maryland; police said they saw him in a parking lot, and recognized him from the description.
[Mugshot via Maryland State Police]