FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(New Britain, CT) – Christian M. Watson, New Britain State’s Attorney, announced that the Honorable Laura F. Baldini sentenced Robert Honsch to 60 years in prison for the September 1995 murder of his daughter, Elizabeth Honsch.
On Sept. 28, 1995, an unidentified female was found shot in the head and wrapped in sleeping bags and garbage bags in a parking lot in New Britain. Several days later, an unidentified female was found shot in the head in the Tolland State Forest in Massachusetts. A tireless effort to identify the two individuals proved to be fruitless until a break in the case in 2014.
Evidence was produced that subsequently led to the identification of the New Britain victim as Elizabeth Honsch, daughter of Robert Honsch, and Marcia Honsch, Honsch's wife.
Robert Honsch was later found in Ohio remarried with children and living under the name of Robert Tyree. Evidence established that shortly after the murder, Honsch went to the homes of family members and told them that Marcia and Elizabeth had gone to Australia ahead of him and he would be following them due to a job transfer. Shortly thereafter, Robert Honsch fled to South Africa and came back to the United States years later. DNA and fingerprint evidence linked Honsch to the murder of Elizabeth Honsch in New Britain.
Robert Honsch was found guilty by a Superior Court jury on March 17, 2022, of Murder in violation of Connecticut General Statutes § 53a-54a.
State’s Attorney Watson wishes to extend his gratitude for the extensive investigation efforts of the New Britain Police Department, Massachusetts State Police, New York State Police and the Department of Public Safety Division of Scientific Services who tirelessly pursued this case. This matter was also prosecuted by former Deputy Assistant State’s Attorney Christopher A. Griffin who is now a Superior Court Judge.