Police chief talks about murder-suicide case that involved a sergeant

By Rob Polansky and Marc Robbins

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    AVON, Connecticut (WFSB) — Avon’s police chief spoke about a murder-suicide case that involved one of his officers.

Chief Paul Melanson participated in a news conference at 1 p.m. on Monday in which he said there was nothing in 50-year-old Sgt. Tom Jacius’s file that indicated he was capable of killing his wife, 49-year-old Doreen Jacius, or himself.

“This was completely shocking to everyone,” said Melanson.

Their deaths were first reported on Aug. 28 in East Granby.

Tom Jacius was an sergeant with the Avon Police Department for nearly 24 years, police said. Doreen Jacius was East Granby’s public library director.

The state medical examiner said Tom Jacius died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound while Doreen Jacius died from multiple gunshot wounds to her head, neck, and torso.

The shooting happened at a home on Wynding Hills Road in East Granby.

Melanson said he and his department have been overwhelmed by emotion, in large part because no one saw it coming. A review of personnel record shows no warning signs. No red flags, nothing to alert anyone that Tom Jacius desperately need help

Police said they were still looking into the case and that they were interested in what a state police investigation reveals.

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