Connecticut NAACP Investigating Death of Lawyer

Connecticut NAACP officials are launching their own investigation into the death of a 35-year-old black attorney found shot in the head in a wrecked car last year.

Relatives of Gugsa Abraham "Abe" Dabela are questioning determinations by Redding police and the medical examiner's office that his death was a suicide. The Danbury state's attorney's office is still investigating whether it was a suicide or homicide.

NAACP officials and Dabela's relatives are scheduled to discuss the NAACP investigation at a news conference Wednesday evening at the Redding police department.

Dabela was found shot in the head in an overturned car near his home in Redding on April 5, 2014.

NAACP officials say many questions remain, including why Dabela's DNA wasn't on the trigger of the handgun found at the crash site.

Danbury State’s Attorney Stephen J. Sedensky III issued a statement on Thursday saying that the  Redding Police Department, Connecticut State Police, the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection Forensic Science Laboratory and the Office of the State's Attorney for the Judicial District of Danbury have been actively working on this case for more than a year.

"We extend our sincere condolences to the family of Mr. Dabela, and we acknowledge and understand their concerns regarding the death of their loved one. That said, we must note that it is not unusual for investigations such as this to take some time before a final determination can be made about the circumstances of the death," he said.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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