The man who police say shot at officers in June, sparking an intense manhunt through Willimantic, is now charged with murdering his father and assaulting public safety officials.
Thirty-four-year-old Andrew Samuolis, of 31 Tunxis Lane in Willimantic, appeared in Danielson Superior Court on Friday on assault charges stemming from the incident.
Prosecutors added charges of murder, assaulting a police officer, and other offenses, according to court records.
Back in June, police responded to the Samuolis home for a wellbeing check on John Samuolis, Andrew's father.
They arrived to find John's badly decomposed body, wrapped in garbage bags and sealed with duct tape inside the home, court records show. Police said he died of gunshot wounds.
While authorities were checking the house, Andrew Samuolis began firing a gun, shooting and injuring a Willimantic police officer. He then led police on an extensive manhunt that shut down a section of town and ultimately led to his arrest.
Neighbor Mark Curtis, who lives next door, called police that day after noticing hundreds of black flies circling around a back window of the Samuolis home.
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"He's a smart kid," Curtis said. "He knew what he was doing and he was preparing. He bought a bunch of stuff, generator and stuff like that, survival gear."
Curtis said police arrived at the scene and asked to borrow his ladder.
"They put the ladder up to the window and the cop went up, and the smell was so overwhelming he said, 'We need to go inside,'" Curtis said.
He said they moved the ladder to an open window in the front of the home and cut the screen.
"The cop went in and met the two other officers at the door," said Curtis. "Two officers went in. One stayed at the door and that's when all hell broke loose."
Samuolis opened fire and shot one of the officers, according to police.
"It was 40 seconds and everything was all said and done with but it was quite a bit of gunfire, freaked us out a little bit," said Curtis.
Samuolis then ran off and continued to fire his weapon until police caught him, according to police.
Court records show that Samuolis admitted to shooting his father in February because he planned to sell their house.
He also told police he planned to keep the body in the home forever, court records show.
His charges include murder, first-degree assault, attempt to commit first-degree assault, assault of public safety personnel and attempt to commit assault of public safety personnel.
Samuolis is being held on a $3 million cash bond and is due back in court in December.
