Conn. man stabs to death baby son, 10-year-old girl
NEW LONDON, Conn. -- A man with a history of violent behavior stabbed his 15-month-old son and a 10-year-old girl to death early yesterday and wounded his son's mother and a neighbor who tried to help them, police said.
Robert Swain III, 24, was charged with two counts of capital felony, which carries a possible death sentence, in the stabbing deaths of his son, Josiah Swain, and Emmaline Turner, the younger sister of his ex-girlfriend.
His former girlfriend, Jennifer Turner, 20, was recovering at Lawrence and Memorial Hospital from several stab wounds.
Swain of New London also stabbed himself in the chest, police said. Superior Court Judge Kevin McMahon ordered a psychiatric evaluation for Swain and set a $1 million cash bail.
Friends said Turner and Swain had been dating for about two years, but that she broke up with him after he abused and harassed her.
"Everyone in the world has been telling her to dump this guy and she was trying to," New London Deputy Police Chief William Gavitt said.
The two got into a fight at about 1 a.m. Tuesday at Turner's apartment on the seventh floor of a public housing project.
During the argument Swain stabbed Turner, police said. She fled to the apartment of a neighbor, Rita Whitehead, who opened the door to let Turner in.
Swain followed them and, police said, stabbed both women on the threshold of Whitehead's apartment, inflicting several wounds on Turner and injuring Whitehead in the head.
Turner was in serious condition after undergoing surgery. Whitehead was listed in fair condition.
Swain then holed up in Turner's apartment and threatened to shoot anyone who entered, police said.
Police negotiated for about a half hour, then broke into the apartment and found the bodies of Josiah and Emmaline. The 10-year-old had been visiting while on school break, authorities said.
Police could hear Emmaline shouting when they arrived at the apartment, said prosecutor Brett Salafia, leading police to believe Swain killed her after the police arrived.
Police said they do not know when Josiah was killed. Autopsies were scheduled for Wednesday.
Swain was found in the bathroom, police said. He resisted arrest and injured three police officers, who were treated at the hospital.
