Boyfriend arrested for East Hampton woman’s murder

January 28, 2013 Local News No Comments

East Hampton CT Police issued a press release today (Jan. 28, 2013) reporting that the boyfriend of slain East Hampton woman Jini Barnum – 38-year-old Anothony L. Garofalo – has been arrested and charged with murder, first-degree strangulation and tampering with physical evidence. Photo source: CT Sex Offender Registry

By Brenda Sullivan

East Hampton CT Police issued a press release today (Jan. 28, 2013) reporting that the boyfriend of slain East Hampton woman Jini Barnum – 38-year-old Anthony L. Garofalo – has been arrested and charged with murder, first-degree strangulation and tampering with physical evidence.

Police state that Garofalo was arraigned at Superior Court in Middletown, CT and held on a $1 million bond.

His case was continued.

Garofalo reported Barnum missing on July 29, 2012 and made a plea on a local news cast for help locating her.

He told police that Barum, who had given birth to a daughter only six weeks prior, had walked away from the apartment they shared after they had a fight and had not returned.

Barnum’s remains were discovered by a woman walking her dog in a wooded area in Glastonbury, CT beside a hiking trail on Sept. 9, 2012.

The CT Medical Examiner determined that the cause of death was strangulation.

Shortly after Barnum was reported as a missing person, police arrested Garofalo for violating terms of his parole. Garofalo is a convicted sex offender. He has been in jail since August. According to a report published in www.newsgather.com, he served eight years in prison for beating and raping a deaf woman he met at a bar, in 2002. (See related links for full story.)

Fox News reported on its 10 p.m. newscast tonight (Jan. 28) that police have a letter Garofalo allegedly wrote to a friend, while incarcerated for the parole violation, in which he writes that he expected to be held until Barum’s body was found and so, he hoped someone would find her soon – implying he knew she was dead and where her body was located.

Jini Barnum, who gave birth to a baby in June and then left the baby behind after arguing with her boyfriend - according to her boyfriend, was reported missing as of July 28. East Hampton CT Police are now saying remains found Sept. 9 in Glastonbury have been identified as Burnam, and the case is now being investigated as a homicide. Photo source: East Hampton CT Police

Jini Barnum – who gave birth to a baby in June 2012 – was reported missing on July 28 by her boyfriend, Anthony L. Garofalo. Her remains were found in shallow grave in a wooded area in Glastonbury CT on Sept. 9. Following a lengthy investigation that included the FBI, Garofalo was arrested Jan. 28, 2013 and charged with her murder, by strangulation. Photo source: East Hampton CT Police

WFSB Channel 3 (CT) also reported tonight that Garofalo was familiar with the wooded area where Barnum was found, and that Barnum’s wallet was found floating in the Salmon River in East Haddam. (See related links for full story.)

The East Hampton Police press release states that today’s arrest is the result of an investigation involving several agencies, including:

Glastonbury Police, Connecticut Department of Criminal Justice, Connecticut State Police – K-9 Search and Rescue Team, Connecticut State Police – Major Crime Squad, Connecticut Department of Correction and Parole, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Police, Middletown Police Dive Team and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Posted January 28, 2013

Related links:

Missing East Hampton woman found dead, East Hampton Today Sept. 10, 2012 http://easthaddam.htnp.com/2012/09/10/missing-east-hampton-woman-found-dead-police-say-it-is-a-homicide/

CT Sex Offender Registry re Anthony Garofalo

http://www.icrimewatch.net/offenderdetails.php?OfndrID=1085640&AgencyID=54567

NewsGather report

http://news.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474981623128

WFSB Channel 3 report http://www.wfsb.com/story/20754081/boyfriend-charged-with-east-hampton-mothers-murder

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