The 70-year-old wife of a Farmington-based University of Connecticut School of Medicine professor allegedly killed her husband with a hammer in self-defense, according the arrest warrant a judge made public March 2, the Hartford Courant reports.
Police discovered the body of 84-year-old Pierluigi Bigazzi, MD, a medical school professor of pathology and lab medicine, in the basement of the home he shared with his wife in Burlington, Conn., last month. The unsealed arrest warrant states Dr. Bigazzi's body was wrapped in plastic trash bags and duct tape, according to the report.
Here are seven things to know about the case.
1. On March 2, New Britain Superior Court Judge John. L. Cordani ordered Linda Kosuda-Bigazzi's arrest warrant be unsealed, stating the public and the press have a right to monitor court proceedings and review court documents, including the arrest warrant, according to the report.
2. According to the warrant, police found several notes dated between July 2017 and October 2017 allegedly written by Ms. Kosuda-Bigazzi. One undated note described a fight between Ms. Kosuda-Bigazzi and her husband during which Dr. Bigazzi allegedly came at her with a hammer after she asked him to conduct some repairs on their deck. The notes claim Ms. Kosuda-Bigazzi struck her husband with the same hammer in self-defense. Police said the notes also contained the names and contact information for several criminal attorneys and bail bond companies, according to the Hartford Courant.
3. Police were reportedly called to check on Dr. Bigazzi Feb. 5 after UConn Health officials said they hadn't heard from him for several months. When police arrived, they discovered Dr. Bigazzi's body in an advanced state of decomposition. Officials also reportedly noted "insect activity" and blood spatters in the kitchen at the residence.
4. Police returned to the couple's residence near midnight Feb. 5 with a search warrant and again the following day, ruling the incident a homicide. A medical examiner later determined Dr. Bigazzi died of "multiple force injuries to the skull," and that his manner of death was homicide, the Hartford Courant reports.
5. Police reportedly spoke with Dr. Bigazzi's supervisor at UConn Health, who claimed she had attempted to reach him by email and phone Feb. 15. The supervisor told police the last email she received from him was dated July 2017, according to the report.
6. UConn Health continued to pay Dr. Bigazzi's $200,000 salary through the end of 2017 despite losing contact with him during much of the year. University of Connecticut President Susan Herbst, PhD, ordered the university's human resources department to review the circumstances regarding Dr. Bigazzi's work arrangement at the institution, the report states.
7. Dr. Bigazzi's university key card was reportedly used for the last time Aug. 23. However, UConn officials said there is no way to determine if the card was used by Dr. Bigazzi or not, the report states.
To access the Hartford Courant report, click here.