Connecticut murder suspect caught hiding out in Seabrook hotel
SEABROOK — The suspect in a Connecticut homicide was arrested Tuesday at a Seabrook hotel by Seabrook police, according to the Connecticut State Police.
Seabrook police, with the assistance of the Seacoast Emergency Response Team and other law enforcement agencies, arrested 46-year-old Matthew Candler at the Seabrook Inn on Stard Road.
“Candler was safely taken into custody by the Seabrook Police Department on the strength of an extraditable felony warrant out of Connecticut,” Connecticut State Police posted on its Facebook page. “The Connecticut State Police would like to thank the Seabrook, New Hampshire Police Department, the New Hampshire State Police, the Salisbury, Massachusetts Police Department, and all of the law enforcement agencies who assisted in swiftly locating and apprehending this individual.”
According to Connecticut State Police, at about 6 a.m. on Sunday, May 1, a State Trooper responded to a report of an assault that had life-threatening injuries at 214 Miller Road in Chaplin, Connecticut. When the trooper arrived, he found one deceased man, later identified as Jaffrey C. Rawson, 51, of Chaplin.
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Upon investigation, detectives identified Candler as a “person of interest,” issuing a “be on the lookout” alert for a 1989 light blue Ford F-350 truck, with Minnesota plates he was believed to be driving.
According to Seabrook Police Chief Brett Walker, his department received the bulletin that Candler was wanted out of Connecticut on Monday, May 2 for a violation of a restraining order and as a person of interest in a homicide. Soon after, Candler’s truck was found abandoned in neighboring Salisbury, he said.
After learning that Candler may still be in the Seacoast area, Walker said Seabrook officers worked with local agencies as well as the Connecticut State Police to follow up on leads.
“Seabrook officers canvassed the community,” Walker said. “On Tuesday, May 3, Seabrook Sgt. Justin Murphy located him at the Seabrook Inn. He was able to direct police resources to secure a perimeter on the building and ensure that hotel rooms in the vicinity of the suspect were cleared while still conducting the investigation.”
Seabrook officers set up a perimeter around the hotel at approximately 11 a.m. as they continued to investigate to determine if Candler was in fact still in the room at the hotel, Walker said. Officers attempted to contact the subject using the hotel phone as well as using the speaker system on patrol cruisers, Walker said.
“After the suspect did not acknowledge phone calls or audible requests to surrender, Seabrook police requested the assistance of the Seacoast Emergency Response Team (SERT), the regional tactical team,” according to Walker. “SERT members took Candler into custody at approximately 1:40 p.m.”
Candler is being charged in New Hampshire with being a fugitive from justice as a result of the Connecticut warrants. He was originally held at Seabrook Police Department, Walker said, where police from Connecticut arrived.
Candler was expected to spend the night at Rockingham House of Correction to await arraignment of fugitive charges at Hampton Circuit Court on Wednesday, Walker said.
Unless he fights extradition, he could be transported back to Connecticut sometime Wednesday, Walker said.
“This incident is an example of great investigative work by our patrol officers,” Walker said. “Sgt. Murphy’s experience and knowledge of the community led him to local hotels and, ultimately, to the Seabrook Inn where the subject was located. We are grateful that this incident was peacefully resolved.”
During this investigation, Seabrook police worked with the Salisbury, Massachusetts Police, the Kensington, Hampton, and Hampton Falls Police Departments, the Seacoast Emergency Response Team (SERT), the Connecticut State Police, and the Seabrook Fire Department.
Anyone with additional information on the case is asked to contact the Connecticut State Police. Anyone wishing to provide information on illegal activities can report the information to the Seabrook Police Department at 603-474-5200 or through the Crimeline for the Hamptons via facebook.com/hamptoncrimeline.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Chaplin, Connecticut murder suspect found hiding in Seabrook, NH hotel
