Jonathon Edington
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Jonathon Edington (b. 1977) is a Fairfield, Connecticut, United States, patent lawyer who achieved national notoriety when on August 28, 2006, he murdered his neighbor, Barry James, after being told that James had molested Edington's two-year-old daughter[1]. On August 30 Edington was released on $1 million bond. It is widely expected that Edington will attempt to mount a psychiatric defense at his murder trial[2].
The story had generated a large amount of press coverage in the United States and overseas.
[edit] Life
Edington studied engineering at Syracuse University and received his J.D. from Fordham Law School in New York City in 2004. He practiced patent law at a small firm in Fairfield[3].
[edit] The trial
Court documents released on September 12, 2006 state that a 2-year-old girl had complained to her mother, Christina Edington, that her neighbor, Barry James, had repeatedly molested her.[4] Christina Edington was in Rhode Island with her daughter visiting relatives when the murder took place. The girl had just told Mrs. Edington when she immediately called to inform her husband, Jonathon Edington. According to the affidavit, within minutes Edington went next door to 101 Colony Street in Fairfield, where he found Barry James, 59, and stabbed him thirteen times in the heart, chest and hand. He died about an hour later at Bridgeport Hospital.
James's estate hired attorney Peter Ambrose, who issued a statement on behalf of the James family that disputed the allegations: "The family of Barry James stand together in defending the unfounded allegations of molestation. They are vicious and hurtful, and the family only wishes that their son and brother had the opportunity to defend himself. When all of the facts are made known, we are confident that Barry will be cleared of these allegations."[5]
On October 10, 2006, Edington pled "not guilty" to all charges[6]. On October 19, 2006, the Fairfield police concluded that James did not molest Edington's daughter[7][8].
[edit] References
- ^ Avi Salzman, Told His Daughter Was Molested, a Lawyer Kills His Neighbor, Police Say, New York Times, 8/31/06
- ^ Lisa Siegel, Attorney Arrested in Murder Case May Be Able to Mount 'Emotional Disturbance' Defense, The Connecticut Law Tribune, 9/5/06
- ^ Avi Salzman and Stacey Stowe, Two Lives, Colliding Violently, Details of Fatal Stabbing Emerge, New York Times, 9/1/06
- ^ Alison Leigh Cowan, Girl, 2, in Murder Case Told of Repeated Abuse, September 13, 2006, via NYTimes.com.
- ^ Associated Press, Girl described abuse before neighbor killed, September 12, 2006, via MSNBC.com.
- ^ Bill Bittar, Out on $1 million bail, suspect pleads not guilty in neighbor murder case, The Fairfield Minuteman, October 12, 2006.
- ^ Police Say Metro Lawyer's Daughter Was Not Molested By Neighbor He's accused of Killing, Associated Press, October 20, 2006.
- ^ Dave Goldiner, Tragic twist in slay, N.Y. Daily News, October 20, 2006.
