Man Pleads Guilty in East Hampton Killing Chilly Maple Fest Draws
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US. POSTAGE PAID GLASTONBURY CITIZEN, INC. P.O. BOX 373, GLASTONBURY, CT, 06033 POSTAL CUSTOMER PRESORTED STANDARD LOCAL ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ RIVEREAST News Bulletin Serving Amston, Andover, Cobalt, Colchester, East Hampton, Hebron, Marlborough, Middle Haddam and Portland Volume 39, Number 48 Published by The Glastonbury Citizen March 27, 2015 Man Pleads Guilty in East Hampton Killing by Geeta Schrayter On Tuesday, former East Hampton resident walking her dog on Windham Road in Anthony Garofalo pled guilty to first-degree Glastonbury – a remote area near the manslaughter, stemming from the 2012 mur- Meshomasic State Forest – came across a par- der of East Hampton resident Jini Barnum. tially buried body. The state medical examiner Garofalo, 40, was arrested in January 2013 determined that the body was that of Barnum, in connection with the case, and charged with and that the cause of death was traumatic as- murder, first-degree strangulation, and tamper- phyxiation, or strangulation. ing with physical evidence. However, on Tues- The following February, Garofalo was ar- day he pled guilty to the lesser charges of first- rested in connection with the murder. At the degree manslaughter and tampering with physi- time, he was already in jail, due to a parole vio- cal evidence. He pled guilty under the Alford lation stemming from his conviction in a 2001 Doctrine, meaning he does not admit guilt but incident where he kidnapped and sexually as- accepts the state likely has enough evidence to saulted a deaf woman in Hartford. He served get a conviction. eight years in prison, and was released on pa- Garofalo faces 20-25 years in prison; he will role in 2010. be sentenced in June. At Middletown Superior Court Tuesday, The charges stem from the death of Barnum, prosecutor Russell Zentner went over the case, 30, who disappeared July 28, 2012. She was while Garofalo stood nearby in an orange reported missing by Garofalo the following day; jumpsuit surrounded by marshals. His feet were at the time, Garofalo alleged that Barnum left shackled and his hands were clasped behind his the apartment the two shared after an argument, back. He remained emotionless as Zentner and never returned. walked Judge David Gold through the details After searching for Barnum for six weeks, of what had happened. Former East Hampton resident Anthony Garofalo entered Middletown Superior East Hampton Police deemed her disappear- Zentner mentioned when Garofalo was Court Tuesday, where he plead guilty to first-degree manslaughter and tampering ance related to a criminal act, and proceeded brought back to the Department of Corrections with evidence in connection with the 2012 murder of East Hampton resident Jini with an investigation; her body was eventually in January 2013, his possessions were seized Barnum. located in early September, when a woman See Man Pleads Guilty Page 2 Chilly Maple Fest Draws Smaller Crowd by Geeta Schrayter was there to enjoy. It seems winter has held on for as long as Meanwhile, a trip to Ted’s IGA meant the possible this year, and last weekend that in- farm tractor show and parade; and a stop a cluded more snow Saturday, and chilly winds Something Simple Café for an item off their Sunday. But even with Old Man Winter still Maple Fest menu – like a maple latte – pro- trying to make a scene, the 25th annual Hebron vided the opportunity to purchase blue bird and Maple Festival – which had been postponed a bat houses made by the Senior Friends of week due to the amount of snow in town – took Hebron. place. There were also plenty of treats to enjoy, from Town Manager Andrew Tierney said Tues- maple cannoli and maple and chocolate cov- day festival attendance was down this year, ered pretzels, to kettle corn and s’mores, bar- which he attributed “to weather more than the becue, burgers, hot dogs and fried dough. postponement. It snowed Saturday to about And once all the events in the center had been noon, an extra inch and a half, and that kept enjoyed, a quick drive to Country Carpenters people inside.” provided the chance to watch blacksmiths hand- However, “I think people did come out in forge items, see woodworking demonstrations the afternoon,” he said. and learn about old-fashioned candle making, Then Tierney mentioned it was “cold and among other things. windy Sunday.” Fred Brehant is a third-generation blacksmith He said he’d been told attendance at the who was busy making small steel hooks Sun- Hebron Lions pancake breakfast was down, as day, while talking about the process. The steel were hamburger sales by the American Legion. he worked with was heated and cooled multiple But even with the cold and the wind, people times as he performed each step: he’d draw out, could still be found mulling around town Sun- or lengthen the piece of steel, then upset it, or day, enjoying all the festival had to offer. make one end thicker. He’d flatten the thicker Despite the chilly weather Sunday, individuals took to the center of Hebron to In the center of town, there was the annual end and punch a hole in it to create a place where enjoy the offerings of the 25th annual Hebron Maple Festival which included quilt show by the Hebron Historical Society to the hook could be attached to something. Then exhibits, demonstrations and plenty of maple- and non-maple related fare. be found, where visitors got to admire both old he’d bend the other end and give it a decorative and new quilts and cast a vote for their favor- curl at the tip, and then heat and twist the cen- many in, you could burn one up because you’re along with maple pudding cake and the ite; then, right outside the Old Town Hall where ter to give it a decorative flare. not paying attention.” Farmer’s Cow, Ron Wenzel could be found talk- the quilts were displayed, visitors could pur- The fire, he shared, is kept around 2,000 de- Along with the above, no trip to the Maple ing to a room full of people while he kept the chase some frosty Maple Milk. grees, and if it gets far beyond that, he explained Festival would be complete without a stop to fire in his evaporator stoked and watched the Over at the nearby fire house, tours of fire the metal could burn. one – if not all – of the participating sugar sap he was boiling. Steam filled the air, and all apparatus were taking place, an extraction dem- “The term ‘too many irons in the fire’ comes houses. around was the sweet smell of syrup. onstration could be seen, and sugar on snow from blacksmithing,” he stated. “If there are too Over at Wenzel’s Sugar House on Sunday, See Maple Fest Page 2 Cover Story ï Cover Story ï Cover Story ï Cover Story ï Cover Story ï Cov From the Editor’s Desk Man Pleads Guilty cont. from Page 9 That same wallet was later found in the and obtained by the East Hampton Police De- Salmon River, and the woman who had reported Observations & Ruminations partment. Among those possessions was a key seeing the wallet in Garofalo’s apartment con- by Mike Thompson that was found to open the gate leading into the firmed it was the same one. “Yard Goats baseball rocks. These Goats came from Sports Illustrated: “A minor league area where Barnum’s body was discovered. “Suffice it to say, the state had a rather strong rock.” baseball team just named itself the Yard Goats. In addition, Zentner said another resident of case against Garofalo,” Zentner stated. Doesn’t have quite the same ring to it, Voluntarily.” the building Garofalo lived in heard thumping Garofalo plead guilty under the Alford Doc- doesn’t it? But perhaps the best response on Twitter sounds on the outside stairs on July 12, 2012, trine, which Judge Gold explained to him as Yard Goats were the talk of the state for a last Wednesday came from New Britain mayor and said a shovel had been found in his pick- meaning “you don’t agree with all the things day or two last week, as it was announced Erin Stewart, who offered a simple “LOL” up truck. the state says, or even the charges, but you know the new AA baseball team in Hartford has when the news was made public. Childish? Zentner also mentioned a friend of Garofalo’s the subsequent risk that you could be found been given the name the Hartford Yard Goats. Perhaps. But Stewart has every reason to be had told the East Hampton Police Department guilty at a trial and you would have been ex- How did this come to be? A list of 6,000 annoyed by everything this baseball team that Garofalo had written him a letter asking if posed to a greater sentence.” potential names, submitted by the public, does. After all, it was Rock Cats ownership he could say he saw Barnum and she said she He added, “So to avail yourself of the agreed whittled down to a Top 10, and then a Top that, for more than a year, secretly negotiated wasn’t coming back. sentence of 20-25 years instead of a possibly Five. Other names in the Top Five were River a new stadium with the city of Hartford. And on July 31, Zentner said Garofalo’s cell greater sentence” he pleaded guilty. Hogs, Hedgehogs, Whirlybirds and Praying Stewart, mayor of the city the Rock Cats (and phone was found to be “pinging a tower” one Gold summarized some of the evidence Mantis.