Convicted Griswold triple-murderer Sergio Correa files appeal
The 30-year-old Hartford man who slaughtered three members of a Griswold family in late 2017 is appealing several of his multiple convictions, including a murder charge that led to a sentence of life without the possibility of release
Sergio Correa, currently incarcerated at the Cheshire Correctional Institution, filed an appeal and other documents, including a preliminary statement of appeal issues, with the state Supreme Court on July 7. The state’s Division of Public Defender Services is also listed as the appeal’s initiating party.
Correa was convicted by a jury in December of 13 charges related to the murders of Kenneth, Janet and Matthew Lindquist more than four years ago. In May, Correa was sentenced by Judge Hunchu Kwak to life without parole and an additional 105 years of incarceration.
Correa is appealing four of the six convictions, including murder with special circumstances – which carries an automatic life sentence - second-degree arson, first-degree robbery and home invasion. Several of the other charges he was convicted of were not part of the sentencing process since other related charges carried more sentencing weight.
The statement of issues lays out 11 issues Correa plans to bring forward on appeal. The topics range from the general - whether there was sufficient evidence presented to prove beyond a reasonable doubt all the elements of the crimes and if Kwak correctly instructed jurors – to the specific, including whether the denial of a defense motion to suppress evidence from Correa’s car and cellphone was proper.
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Correa is also challenging Kwak’s denials of motions for a speedy trial, a mistrial and a new trial that were brought up a various points before, during and after the trial proceedings. He also accuses Kwak of depriving him of his constitutional rights by failing to admit certain heresy testimony by defense witness Erica Teal.
In the days leading up the crimes, Correa and Matthew Lindquist, a 21-year-old relapsing heroin addict, worked out a scheme to stage a robbery at the Lindquist’s Kenwood Estates home in Griswold with the dope sick Matthew expecting to receive heroin in exchange for helping steal his father’s guns which were kept in the residence’s basement safe.
Instead, Correa, with the help of his adopted sister, Ruth, stabbed Matthew Lindquist 67 times and left his body in a patch of woods near the home on or just before Dec. 20, 2017. Matthew’s corpse would not be found for months.
The siblings next entered the Lindquist home where Sergio Correa beat 56-year-old Kenneth Lindquist to death and bludgeoned Janet Lindquist. The family’s beloved golden retriever, Skylar, was beaten and killed with a golf club.
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The pair burned down the home Kenneth Lindquist built after stealing numerous items, including rifles, jewelry, home sundries and Christmas gifts. A medical examiner said Janet Lindquist, 61, died from a combination of blunt force injuries, smoke inhalation and burns.
Sergio Correa stole Matthew Lindquist’s vehicle and later set it afire in Glastonbury in an attempt to destroy evidence of the murders and home invasion.
Ruth Correa, a key state witness, testified against her sibling in exchange for pleading guilty to three counts of murder and a 40-year prison sentence.
A July 8 document filed by the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney lists several possible counter-arguments prosecutors may present during the appeals or post-judgment proceedings, including alternative grounds for why Correa’s conviction should be upheld.
John Penney can be reached at jpenney@norwichbulletin.com or at (860) 857-6965.
This article originally appeared on The Bulletin: Sergio Correa, convicted of murdering Griswold family, files appeal
