HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - Connecticut’s top stories in 2019 included the deadly crash of a World War II-era bomber, police shootings that stirred protests and the mystery surrounding the disappearance of a mother of five.
In addition to the new scandals and tragedies, there were developments in long-running sagas, including Newtown families’ efforts to hold gun-makers and conspiracy theorists accountable and the bankruptcy of OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma.
Other notable headlines this year included Yale’s role in the national college admissions bribery scandal and a hedge fund billionaire’s gift to Connecticut schools.
Here is a look at the stories:
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DEADLY B-17 CRASH
Seven people were killed, including the two pilots, when a B-17 crashed in a fireball on Oct. 2 at Bradley International Airport. The crash raised questions about the safety of vintage airplanes and shook the ever-smaller community of pilots who fly World War II-era planes. The plane was used to take history buffs on short flights. The cause of the accident remains under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board.
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POLICE SHOOTINGS
Two separate police shootings of unarmed people, one in New Haven and another in Wethersfield, led to protests and new questions about police accountability. Hamden Officer Devin Eaton was charged with assault in the April 26 episode in New Haven, where he opened fire on an unarmed couple and seriously wounded a woman while investigating a report of an attempted robbery. He has pleaded not guilty. A Wethersfield officer on April 20 fatally shot a man who has driving toward him as he fled a traffic stop. That officer is facing a standard review into whether the use of force was justified.
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PURDUE PHARMA BANKRUPTCY
Under fire for years over the role its painkiller Oxycontin played in the opioid crisis, Purdue Pharma filed for bankruptcy in September. Only days earlier, the Stamford-based company reached a tentative settlement with many of the state and local governments that are suing it. The company’s drugs are just a slice of the opioids prescribed, but critics assign a lot of the blame to Purdue because it developed both the drug and an aggressive marketing strategy. In court filings, Purdue has noted that its products were approved by regulators and prescribed by doctors.
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COLLEGE ADMISSIONS BRIBERY
It was one of the biggest national stories of the year, a scandal that shook confidence in the admissions programs at elite universities, and Yale University’s former women’s soccer coach was among the facilitators. Rudy Meredith pleaded guilty in March to taking hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes in exchange for pretending applicants were recruits to boost their chances of winning admission. Yale rescinded the admission of a student linked to the bribery scandal.
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LAWSUIT AGAINST REMINGTON PROCEEDS
In a case that some Newtown families hope will be a watershed for claims against gun-makers, a Connecticut lawsuit against Remington Arms got a go-ahead in November from the U.S. Supreme Court. That followed a March ruling by a state court that Remington could be sued over how it marketed the rifle used in the 2012 school shooting despite a federal law that shields gun manufacturers from liability in most cases when their products are used in crimes. A trial is scheduled for September 2021. Remington has denied wrongdoing.
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MISSING MOTHER
Jennifer Dulos, of New Canaan, dropped her children off at school the morning of May 24, and the mother of five has not been seen since. Police said traces of her blood were found in her home and on items in trash bags investigators believe were discarded by Fotis Dulos, her estranged husband. Fotis Dulos and his former girlfriend have pleaded not guilty to tampering with evidence and hindering prosecution. The closely watched investigation into the disappearance remains unresolved.
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DALIO SCHOOLS DONATION
In April, hedge fund billionaire Ray Dalio and his wife, Barbara, pledged $100 million to support public education. It is the largest known philanthropic donation to the state. The gift has not come without controversy. The state agreed to contribute $100 million in taxpayer money for the initiative, and some raised concerns there is not enough transparency surrounding the nonprofit entity established to oversee the spending.
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NEWTOWN PARENTS VS. HOAXERS
After years of harassment, some Newtown victims’ families turned the tables on conspiracy theorists. In June, Lenny Pozner, whose 6-year-old son was killed in the Sandy Hook shooting, won a defamation lawsuit against the authors of a book that claimed the shooting never happened. The families of eight of the victims are also suing Alex Jones, host of the conspiracy-driven Infowars website, and others for promoting a theory that the shooting was a hoax. A Connecticut judge in June sanctioned Jones for an angry outburst on his show against an attorney for the plaintiffs.
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