A man is suspected in the killing of his visiting nurse at a halfway house in Willimantic on Saturday, according to court documents obtained by NBC Connecticut.
A woman who had been reported missing was found dead in the basement of a home at 106 Chapman St. That home is a part of a Re-Entry Assisted Community Housing (REACH) location in Willimantic.
Michael Carlos Reese, 38, who lived at the halfway house, had an appointment with his visiting nurse that was only supposed to take eight minutes, documents show, but her location still pinged at the home hours later.
Officers were contacted on Saturday around 2 p.m. by the family of a woman who had been missing and unaccounted for since the mid-morning hours. She was believed to be in Willimantic.
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When police went to Chapman Street to investigate, they determined the missing woman's vehicle was no longer in the area. Authorities said a patrol officer found the missing woman's vehicle at a business nearby. A police K9 followed a track from her vehicle back to the home where the woman was believed to be.
According to documents, police obtained an arrest warrant for Reese, who is a registered sex offender "with violent tendencies." He was staying at a halfway house in Willimantic and was on probation with an ankle monitor at the time of the incident, authorities said.
Documents show that Reese's probation-issued ankle bracelet had been tampered with, with the last known location being his home, but responding officers said he wasn't there.
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Investigators at the home said Reese was seen fleeing the area. He had a knife on him, as well as debit and credit cards not belonging to him, police said.
Reese was detained and was later arrested at the scene on unrelated charges. In the court documents for those unrelated charges, police say Reese is a suspect in the murder of the visiting nurse.
He is being held on a bond set at a little over $1 million. He faces charges for violating probation, larceny and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Documents show that Reese has a criminal history and has served time in prison for assault resulting in serious physical injury and other charges. Authorities say he completed a residential treatment program and transitioned to the Willimantic halfway house a couple of months ago.
Inside of the halfway house, police said they found a woman dead in the basement. Her identity has not been released.
Reese is currently at the Corrigan-Radgowski Correctional Center. He was supposed to appear in court for his arraignment Monday, but officials deemed his mental health needs too high, saying he posed a safety risk to others.
Authorities went on to say that Reese refused to take part in a virtual hearing, which is an uncommon occurrence. The hearing went on without him, but if Reese were to appear in court in the future, the decision could be revisited.
The investigation remains active and ongoing.
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