Granddaughter held after double murder in Enfield
Aug. 9—ENFIELD — Police say they discovered a severely injured couple in an Alden Avenue apartment Sunday evening, both of whom eventually died, and arrested a 22-year-old woman — the granddaughter of one of the victims — because she was found in their apartment in violation of a family violence protective order.
Police said in a statement that they expect further charges to be filed at a later date against the woman, Harlee Swols of 25 Booth Road.
Police Chief Alaric Fox said today that Swols was the granddaughter of the woman who died in the incident, Maryrose Riach, 72. Killed along with Riach in the incident was James Samuel Bell, 63, police said.
Swols, charged with violating a court protective order, was held overnight in lieu of a $2 million bond for arraignment today in Hartford Superior Court.
Police said in a Facebook post Sunday that there was no ongoing threat to the community.
Police said in a statement that they received a 911 call about 6:34 p.m. Sunday calling for officers to check the wellbeing of people in the apartment at 17-B Alden Ave.
When officers arrived at the second-floor apartment, they saw a person "in distress" and forced their way in, police said.
They found that Bell and Riach were suffering "significant trauma," according to the statement, which adds that emergency medical personnel pronounced Bell dead at the scene.
DOUBLE HOMICIDE
DECEASED: MARYROSE RIACH, 72, AND JAMES SAMUEL BELL, 63, BOTH FOUND IN APARTMENT AT 17-B ALDEN AVE. IN ENFIELD
ARRESTED: HARLEE SWOLS, 22, OF 25 BOOTH ROAD IN ENFIELD, WHOM POLICE FOUND IN THE APARTMENT WITH THE VICTIMS AND CHARGED WITH VIOLATING A FAMILY VIOLENCE PROTECTIVE ORDER. SHE IS THE GRANDDAUGHTER OF MARYROSE RIACH, POLICE CHIEF ALARIC FOX SAID.
WHAT'S NEXT: SWOLS, WHO WAS HELD OVERNIGHT ON A $2 MILLION BOND, WAS TO APPEAR TODAY IN HARTFORD SUPERIOR COURT. POLICE SAY FURTHER CHARGES ARE EXPECTED TO BE FILED AT A LATER DATE.
Riach was taken to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, where she later died of her injuries, police said.
Fox said today that he couldn't comment on the nature of the injuries suffered by the victims because it could affect the investigation. He said a weapon was among the items being sought Sunday night.
Police say Swols was subject to a full protective order as a result of a prior incident. Online court records show that she is facing charges of third-degree assault on an elderly or otherwise vulnerable victim and second-degree breach of peace in a July 7 incident in Enfield. She was free on a $2,000 bond in that incident, of which she had to post 10%, or $200, in cash.
Fox said he couldn't immediately provide further details of the July 7 incident.
A woman who answered the phone this morning at the state medical examiner's office in Farmington said Bell's body had yet to arrive there.
Because she died in Massachusetts, Riach's body would have been taken to that state's medical examiner's office, which didn't answer a call this morning.
Fox said he didn't yet have information from the medical examiners on either victim.
Several streets in the area of the apartment were closed during the investigation.
Enfield detectives are being assisted in the investigation by the State Police Major Crimes Unit, and they remained on the scene to process evidence.
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