Milford Police Charge Luis Antonio Rodriguez in "Cold Case" Homicide

An arrest warrant was obtained today by members of the Milford Police Department and the Office of the Chief State's Attorney Cold Case Unit for the 2001 murder of a Milford woman. The warrant charges Luis Antonio Rodriguez, age 50, with Murder and Felony Murder.

The warrant charges Mr. Rodriguez in the death in her home of Kelsey Monahan, age 28, on May 21, 2001. The warrant was issued as a result of an investigation conducted by Milford Police Department in conjunction with the Office of the Chief State's Attorney Cold Case Unit and the Ansonia-Milford State's Attorney's Office.

Mrs. Monahan was found unresponsive, a victim of an apparent burglary, on Bittersweet Avenue in the city's Wildemere Beach neighborhood. An autopsy conducted by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner at the time stated Mrs. Monahan died of the effects of strangulation.

Mr. Rodriguez, now serving a federal prison sentence in Oklahoma on an unrelated case, is charged with Felony Murder and Murder. The charges are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

Bond for Mr. Rodriguez is set at $2 million. The defendant will be arraigned in Milford Superior Court, G.A. No. 22, on a date to be determined. The case will be prosecuted by the Office of the State's Attorney for the Judicial District of Ansonia-Milford and the Office of the Chief State's Attorney.

The Cold Case Unit was established in the Office of the Chief State's Attorney in May of 1998 to focus special investigative efforts on crimes that have gone "cold," that is, unsolved for a prolonged period of time.

"I want to thank the members of the Milford Police Department, past and present, who worked tirelessly on this case for almost 10 years," State's Attorney Lawlor said. "Also, I cannot thank Senior Assistant State's Attorney Charles Stango from this office and the Office of the Chief State's Attorney Cold Case Squad enough for their assistance. Chief State's Attorney Kevin T. Kane, Deputy Chief State's Attorney Leonard C. Boyle and Chief Inspector James Rovella provided critical assistance, manpower and expertise which made this arrest possible," State's Attorney Lawlor said. "I am gratified that we can begin the process of seeking justice on behalf of the victim and her family in court."

Media inquiries may be submitted via the Ansonia-Milford State's Attorney's Office website at www.amstatesattorney.org or by phone (203) 874-3361.