Sisters Died of Smoke Inhalation

Westport, CT- Hours before they were killed in a fiery crash on the northbound Merritt Parkway on Saturday morning, Tiffany and Chantel Osorio were in New York City, having a blast celebrating Chantel's 24th birthday.
The sisters, both Stratford residents and graduates of Notre Dame High School in Fairfield, tweeted Friday night about the celebratory day, and headed back to Connecticut early Saturday.
They were found dead inside a Chevy Cobalt at about 6:30 a.m. Saturday near the Fairfield-Westport border. State Police said that Chantel was driving the car owned by Tiffany when it veered left over a soft grass median, then swerved right across both travel lanes. The car went off the right side of the road, striking a tree. The vehicle then spun around, striking a second tree and bursting into flames.
The crash was initially reported as a brush fire, and firefighters from Westport and Fairfield responded to the scene. The flames engulfed the entire vehicle, and both women were pronounced dead at the scene, according to the accident report.

A spokesperson for the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Farmington said Tuesday that both women died of smoke inhalation. The cause of their deaths was accidental.

Earlier Friday, an account registered to Chantel Osorio tweeted: "My week was rough but my birthday has been goin great. Thank you all that have wished me happy birthday so far !!!"

State police confirmed Monday night that the sisters died in the crash

Before leaving for New York City, Chantel tweeted she was "city-bound," and before the pair headed back to Connecticut, Tiffany Osorio tweeted "Omw (on may way) back to CT now."
The sisters were remembered Monday as outgoing and fun-loving.
"There was that one or two seconds of shock," said the Rev. Peter Cipriani, the school chaplain at Notre Dame High School. "And then immediately I felt the tears well into my eyes."

Cipriani taught Tiffany when she was a student at Notre Dame.
"Someone like that -- it makes you excited to get out of bed each day and come to a place like this," said Cipriani, "and that's why it's just devastating the world has lost someone like that."
"The first word that comes to mind in describing Tiffany is `sass,' " he said. "I don't think I've known a more sassier girl, and yet I mean that as the biggest compliment. Wherever you happened to be in the school, you knew that Tiffany was close by -- you just had to listen -- but at the same time, very fun. That's what she was able to use her sass for -- more than anything, was for fun, get a few chuckles out of people.
Cipriani didn't know Chantel as well, but when he looked Monday at her yearbook photo, he was taken aback by the quote she chose to go with her photo:

"Life is short and so am I, so I'm going to do the best with them both before I die."
Chantel Osorio, who graduated from Southern Connecticut State University in 2009, held a state license as a pharmacy technician, according to an online database.

A poster memorializing the sisters is circulating on Facebook, and people throughout the community are taking to Twitter to leave their condolences.

Mike Millea tweeted that he had homeroom with Chantel all four years at Notre Dame.
"I cannot believe that she's gone," he wrote.

Dawud Peterson wrote on Facebook that his children were friends with the Osorio sisters.
"When my family heard the news, we were devastated," he wrote.
Shereffia Francis uploaded the poster on her Facebook page.
"You were both so young, the good die young and my prayer go out to your family, your parents especially," she wrote. "You ladies will be missed and never forgotten ...watch over us thru tough times."

The account @SportsFairfield, which covers sports throughout the county, tweeted "Our thoughts are with the #NDFairfield community and the Osorio family as they mourn the loss of alumni Tiffany and Chantel."

Bridgeport Teen in Home Invasion Laid to Rest

(11/29/10) BRIDGEPORT - The family of a Bridgeport teen who died during a home invasion in Stratford says he had a history with mental illness.

Joshua Hamilton, 18, died after he broke into a home on Seabreeze Avenue.

Officers say was he found dead in the bathtub and that he had been wounded before entering the home.

Hamilton's family says he had recently been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, and they believe that played a role in his behavior.

Police say they are waiting for toxicology results before releasing the official cause of death.

Dead Man Found in Bathtub Identified

Stratford, Conn. (WTNH) - A man who broke into a Stratford home and was later found dead in the bathtub has been identified as a teenager from Bridgeport, police said.

They say it was 18-year-old Joshua Hamilton of Bridgeport.

Stratford police say the man broke into a home on Seabreeze Drive around 1:20 a.m. Friday, November 19th.

Last week's incident is still under investigation and the results of the autopsy have not been released.

Police say it appears Hamilton was injured before he entered the home.

Police Attempt to Identify Fatally Stabbed Intruder

(11/19/10) STRATFORD -Police are trying to identify the man who broke into a Stratford home today after he was fatally stabbed.

Investigators say it happened at around 1 a.m. at 40 Seabreeze Drive . They say the man who broke in may have been looking for help after the stabbing.

Police say the homeowner, Robert Smith, woke up after hearing the man break into his house.

They say the homeowner and the intruder got into some kind of a fight, with the homeowner falling down the steps and then running to a neighbor's house to call police.

Police say they may need to use fingerprints or dental records to identify the suspect. They say he didn't have any identification on him and he wasn't wearing any shoes.

An autopsy is scheduled to be performed.

Looking For Leads In 16 Year Old's Murder

On June 1, 2004, 16 year old Jessica Rose Keyworth, was found strangled and found down stairs in an old abandoned house located at 23-25 Pearl St in Waterbury, CT.

On May 30, she had taken a local train from Bridgeport, CT to Stratford, CT and then another train to Waterbury alone. She was supposed to meet friends at their house and then they were to all drive together back to Job Corps in Devens, Massachusetts.

Police are trying to find out what happened in the 24 hours prior to her being found deceased. A picture of Jessica as well as a shirt she was last wearing are attached. Her family is filled with grief and are looking for answers.

There is $50,000.00 reward being offered and you can contact the Waterbury Police Department at 203-574-6941 if you have vital information.

Homicide of Joseph Mackanesi - Stratford - July 28, 1990 - $5,000 Reward

The Town of Stratford is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the homicide of Joseph Mackanesi.

On July 28, 1990, at approximately 2:00 a.m. Mr. Mackanesi, age 32, flagged down a police patrol car near the intersection of Soundview and Barnum Avenues in Stratford.

Mr. Mackanesi reported that he had been shot by two black males that had attempted to rob him. Mr. Mackanesi was transported to the hospital where he later expired. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined that the cause of death was a gunshot wound.

Mr. Mackanesi was employed in the local area as a truck driver and food salesman prior to his death.

If you think you know this individual or can provide any information about this incident:

* Call the Stratford Police Department at 203-385-4100.
* Call the Cold Case Unit tip line at 860-548-0606 or toll-free at 1-866-623-8058.
* Write to the Cold Case Unit, P.O. Box 962, Rocky Hill, CT 06067

Homicide of Nancy Valentin - Stratford - September 7, 1990

On September 7, 1990, at approximately 10:45 p.m. Nancy Valentin, age 31 was found lying on the pavement in the parking lot of Rose’s Family Restaurant at 595 South Main Street in Stratford. Ms. Valentin was employed as a waitress at Rose’s and had just left work for the evening.

Ms. Valentin was transported to the hospital where she later expired. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined that the cause of death was a gunshot wound.

A $50,000 reward is being offered by the State of Connecticut for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) involved with Nancy Valentin’s murder.

If you think you know this individual or can provide any information about this incident:

* Call the Stratford Police Department at 203-385-4100.
* Call the Cold Case Unit tip line at 860-548-0606 or toll-free at 1-866-623-8058.
* Write to the Cold Case Unit, P.O. Box 962, Rocky Hill, CT 06067

"Dead Identified In Turnpike Crash"

..Another important yet sad addition to Connecticut's more modern history..

From New York Times, Published: January 22, 1983

"The seven people who were fatally injured Wednesday in a fiery crash of a tractor-trailer and four cars at the Stratford tollbooth on the Connecticut Turnpike were all women and children, the state police said today.

Positive identification was delayed until dental and medical records could be checked at the State Medical Examiner's office in Farmington.

According to the police, the six people killed instantly in the crash were Tammy Bartron, 18 years old, and her brother, Joseph Piscitelli, 6, both of Milford; Maria Kaliska, 55, of Milford; Edith Martin, 29, and her son, Patrick, 8 months, of Stratford, and Fiona L. Johnson, 29, of Bridgeport.

A seventh victim, Brian Thall, 5, of Milford, a passenger in the Bartron car, died Wednesday night at Bridgeport Hospital. Adam Berluti, a state police spokesman, said the investigation into the accident was continuing. He said the driver of the truck, Charles L. Kluttz, 35, of Cooleemee, N.C., was too weak to be interviewed after surgery Wednesday. Two other people - Warren Lutzel of Rhode Island and Mark Piscitelli, 3, brother of Joseph - were treated for minor injuries and released from the hospital Wednesday.