Police have made an arrest in the Hartford murder of a 44-year-old mother and the man they charged with murder appeared in court Friday.
Byron Perry, 26, of Hartford, has been charged with the murder of 44-year-old Lydia Tirillo, the mother of two daughters.
On Friday, Tirillo’s family held back tears inside the courtroom where Perry was arraigned.
“I was just staring at him the entire time,” Tirillo’s daughter, Beatrice, said. “It’s a relief that he’s caught and everything, but at the same time, it’s not going to bring my mom back or anything.”
Police were alerted to the shooting when ShotSpotter detected five gunshots on Enfield Street in Hartford on May 23 and they said Tirillo had been shot in the torso and legs.
Investigators spent months talking to several eyewitnesses who they said identified Perry.
Perry and Tirillo knew each other, according to police who said the shooting appeared to have stemmed from a dispute between the two.
Tirillo's brother, Frank, said his sister battled drugs since the 1990s and the family believes Perry took advantage of that.
A family friend said Tirillo got "caught up in the wrong world" and "ran into the wrong person."
Authorities obtained a warrant on Wednesday charging Perry with murder and carrying a pistol without a permit and he was arrested Thursday.
No one from Perry's family commented on the charges.
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Perry is due back in court on Nov. 16.
