A jury trial began today in New London for a Hartford man accused of brutally killing three members of a Griswold family in December of 2017.
Sergio Correa, 30, is facing 14 charges, including murder and arson, in connection with the deaths of Kenneth Lindquist, his wife, Janet Lindquist, and their 21-year-old son, Matthew Lindquist on Dec. 20, 2017.
Correa's sister, Ruth Correa, was also charged for the killings. In May, Ruth Correa pleaded guilty to three counts of felony murder. She agreed to testify at her brother's trial as part of the plea agreement, according to court documents.
After her arrest, Ruth Correa told police she and her brother committed the slayings and said they were in on a plot with Matthew Lindquist to steal guns from his parents' home and make it look like a robbery, according to an arrest warrant.
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She said Sergio Correa stabbed Matthew Lindquist several times and then guided her hand to stab him as well after the plan fell apart, the court documents stated.
The pair then went to the Lindquist house and killed Kenneth and Janet Lindquist before setting the house on fire, police said.
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The bodies of 56-year-old Kenneth Lindquist and his 61-year-old wife, Janet Lindquist, were later found inside their burned-out home, according to police.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined that Janet Lindquist died of “homicidal violence including blunt impact injuries to the head” and smoke inhalation with thermal injuries and Kenneth Lindquist died of homicidal violence, including skull fractures, cerebral contusions and additional injuries. His death was ruled a homicide.
Months later, a person who was walking his dog found Matthew Lindquist’s body on Saturday, May 5. An autopsy revealed several stab wounds and his death was ruled a homicide.
Sergio Correa pleaded not guilty to all 14 charges he is facing. Corrie-Ann Mainville, one of Correa's attorneys, told jurors during an opening statement today that they do not dispute the fact that the Lindquists were killed or that their home was set on fire. They dispute that Sergio is responsible.
Robert Thibeault, a life-long friend of Kenneth Lindquist and neighbor, testified in court Friday. He described the morning of the fire, waking up to see a bright orange light from his bedroom window.
"I looked out the shade and I screamed because I looked across the street and Ken's house was on fire," said Thibeault.
Thibeault explained how he frantically ran around the Lindquist's burning home, trying to help them, but he couldn't find a way inside.
Jurors also heard from a Connecticut State Police trooper who was one of the first to respond to the fire.
"Across the street, I could feel the heat from the fire," said Trooper Raymond Sulich. "Fire was coming out of all the windows and doors."
Testimony is set to begin again Monday. The trial is expected to last anywhere from four to six weeks.
