Told of Threat to Tot, Lawyer Kills, Repents, Gets 12 Years
A Connecticut patent lawyer who killed his neighbor after his wife reportedly told him the man had molested their 2-year-old daughter was sentenced today to 12 years in prison. Meanwhile, it appears that the alleged Aug. 28, 2006 attack on the toddler that led to the killing may never have occurred.
Originally charged with murder and burglary, Jonathon Edington, now 30, showed no emotion as he was sentenced after pleading guilty to first-degree manslaughter, according to the Connecticut Post and the Associated Press. Edington repeatedly stabbed 59-year-old Barry James in the victim’s bedroom a year ago after breaking into his home in Fairfield, Conn.
Although Edington’s wife, Christina, apparently may believe to this day that she told her husband the truth, police say they have found no evidence to confirm the alleged molestation of the Edingtons’ child. A prosecutor said a defense psychiatrist determined Christina Edington was suffering from postpartum depression. And Judge Richard Comerford Jr., at sentencing, had harsh words apparently directed at her role in the case, AP writes, although she was not charged with any crime.
“It’s a Shakespearean tragedy brought into the real world,” Comerford said. “Something was set into motion in this man’s mind–real or perceived. It was very real to him.” And, the judge said, “Someone other than this man [Jonathon Edington] will have to live with the consequences of his or her actions for a long time.”
Edington spoke only very briefly in court, but his lawyer, Andrew Bowman, said his client lost control and wasn’t in his right mind when he attacked James. Bowman says his client is now “extremely remorseful,” as he expressed in a letter to the judge, the AP article continues. Both Edington and his wife reportedly have been sued civilly by the victim’s family.
Edington is a Fordham University Law School graduate.
