Jonathon Edington

Case details

Jonathon Edington (born October 29, 1976) was a patent lawyer in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States. He achieved national notoriety when he allegedly murdered his neighbor, Barry James, after being told that James had molested Edington’s two-year-old daughter.

Timeline

• August 28, 2006 — Jonathon Edington returned home early from vacation, and his wife called him after speaking with their two-year-old daughter who did not want to go home because she was afraid of Barry James; Edington then went next door to 101 Colony Street in Fairfield and stabbed Barry James thirteen times in the heart, chest and hand. Barry James died about an hour later at Bridgeport Hospital.
• August 30, 2006 — Edington was released on $1 million bond.
• September 12, 2006 — Court documents were released stating that a 2-year-old girl had complained to her mother, Christina Edington, that her neighbor, Barry James, had repeatedly molested her.
• October 10, 2006 — Edington pled “not guilty” to all charges.
• October 19, 2006 — The Fairfield police concluded that James did not molest Edington’s daughter.
• September 15, 2006 — Details of the molestation claim were released, including quotations from the child’s reported statements and information about a search warrant for a 1991 Toyota Cressida owned by the James family.
• January 18, 2007 — The family of Jonathon Edington, who was charged with the murder of Barry James, was being sued by his family for $5 million dollars.
• May 3, 2007 — A plan to use a defense of extreme emotional disturbance was filed, as lawyers intended to use an insanity-defense-type approach.
• June 15, 2007 — The audio recordings of two 9-1-1 calls were made public; also on this date Edington pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of first-degree manslaughter.
• August 17, 2007 — Sentencing was scheduled for August 17, 2007.
• August 31, 2007 — Edington was sentenced to 12 years in prison for first-degree manslaughter; the judge suspended eight years of the sentence, leaving 12 years to serve, plus five years probation.
• September 1, 2007 — Update content described the sentencing remarks and civil actions, including a wrongful death lawsuit served on Christina Edington and additional civil litigation pending against Jonathon Edington.
• September 1, 2007 — Another report stated Edington had been sentenced to 12 years in prison and 5 years of probation; prosecutors had recommended a sentence of 20 years.

The offence

Jonathon Edington attacked and stabbed his neighbor Barry James at Barry James’s home at 101 Colony Street in Fairfield.

What Edington believed

Edington believed that Barry James had molested Edington’s two-year-old daughter, and that belief was described as the reason he attacked James.

Reported statements from the child

The 2-year-old girl complained to her mother, Christina Edington, that her neighbor, Barry James, had repeatedly molested her. In police complaint materials and related reports, the girl’s reported statements included:

• “that Barry puts it on her belly and her nose.”
• “He comes to me in the starry nights.”

Attack and death

Within minutes after the phone call, Edington went next door to 101 Colony Street and found Barry James, 59, and stabbed him thirteen times in the heart, chest and hand.

Police also said officers found Edington washing the victim’s blood off in a kitchen sink, and that officers found the victim’s blood on Edington’s hands and forearms. An attorney for James’s estate said evidence disputed the molestation allegations.

Investigation

Investigators later concluded they could not corroborate the molestation allegations.

Police findings on molestation

• On October 19, 2006, the Fairfield police concluded that James did not molest Edington’s daughter.
• The police released findings that they had “not been able to corroborate the mother’s report,” and that “There’s not a lot of evidence on it at this point that we’ve been able to gather.”
• Bridgeport police clarified that “There’s no evidence of any molestation occurring,” and “We’re confident that the evidence does not support any molestation.”
• Officers said they found no evidence to back up the molestation allegation.
• Police also revealed that Edington’s wife, Christina, refused to cooperate with investigators.

Search warrant details

During investigation of the molestation claim, police received a search warrant for a 1991 Toyota Cressida owned by the James family. Police reported they were searching for “cutting instruments and tools capable of gaining access to a locked premises’’ along with other evidence.

Arrest

Edington was charged in connection with the stabbing. He was charged with first degree burglary and murder.

After the murder, police found Edington in his kitchen with blood on his hands and forearms, and authorities said they found a bloody knife on the countertop when police arrived at his home.

Edington was released on $1 million bond on August 30, 2006.

Trial / Pleas

Initial plea

On October 10, 2006, Edington pled “not guilty” to all charges.

Guilty plea to reduced charge

In June 2007, Edington pled guilty to a reduced charge of first degree manslaughter.

Plea details and sentencing recommendation

On June 15, 2007, the state’s attorney Jonathan Benedict told the judge that he believed the molestation claim was “bogus,” but he felt Edington believed it was true when he attacked his neighbor. The prosecutor said this put Edington in a state of “extreme emotional disturbance,” which was identified as a defense planned for the trial.

Prosecutor Jonathon Benedict said he would recommend that Edington serve 20 years in prison.

Sentencing

On August 31, 2007, Edington was sentenced to 12 years in prison for first-degree manslaughter.

The judge suspended eight years of that sentence, leaving 12 years to serve, plus five years probation.

Judge’s remarks at sentencing

Judge Richard F. Comerford Jr. said:

“It’s a Shakespearean tragedy brought into the real world,”
“Something was set into motion in this man’s mind — real or perceived. It was very real to him.”

The judge also said:

“There is a certain responsibility that lies not only with this man, but with others in this courtroom, someone else will have to live with this on their conscience,”
“As far as the blame for the situation it lies at his feet, but there is one other individual who it may be considered to have some degree of culpability. I wouldn’t want to have this on my conscience.”

Appeals

No appeal information was provided.

Outcome

Edington received a 12-year prison sentence for first-degree manslaughter.

Aftermath

Victims’ family statements

James’s parents, Rita and Charlie James, filed a victims’ statement with the court that said:

“We will never be the same,”
“A terrible tragedy has happened for nothing, but it has destroyed all that we have.”

James’s sister, Charlene Benoit, said:

“As if the brutality of your act were not enough, it got worse,”
“At our instructions, our family and friends turned to the local newspapers to read Barry’s obituary. We crafted it to celebrate his life and accomplishments as well as provide details of his wake and funeral. “But this, too, was destroyed as we were met with the horror of banner headlines of your unfounded claims. As if taking his flesh were not enough, you went after his good name with your twisted accusations.”

Defense counsel and post-sentence conduct

Edington’s lawyer Andrew Bowman said Edington was not in his right mind when he attacked Barry James.

After the sentence was read, Edington was handcuffed and led away as his wife fell to her knees.

Civil cases and lien

The estate of Barry James filed an order in the Bridgeport Superior Court for a $5 million dollar lien against Edington’s property to secure any verdict reached against Edington.

James’s 87-year-old mother lived with him and would be a beneficiary of the estate. She was legally blind and discovered the body. After she showed police the body, police found Edington at home in his kitchen with blood on his hands and forearms.

An attorney for the James family served Christina Edington with a wrongful death civil lawsuit, accusing her of triggering the stabbing and making up the abuse claim. A similar lawsuit was described as pending against Edington.

There was also a wrongful death civil lawsuit served as Christina Edington left the courthouse, described as being pushed to her through closing elevator doors by state Marshal Patti Randall.

Christina Edington and alleged postpartum depression

Prosecutor Jonathan Benedict said a defense psychiatrist determined that Edington’s wife, Christina, suffered from postpartum depression. Benedict said Christina was not charged with a crime because she never gave a sworn statement to police. Benedict also stated: “There’s no statute in Connecticut that covers that conduct,”.

Edington’s continued belief and letter to judge

Edington remained convinced that his two-year-old daughter was molested by Barry James. In a letter to the judge, he stated that he trusted his wife completely and believed what she told him on the phone. It was described that Christina told him their daughter was afraid to go home because James came to her in “the starry nights” and molested, which led him to stab his neighbor to death.

9-1-1 call audio recordings

The audio recordings of two calls made to 9-1-1 dispatchers were made public on June 20, 2007.

The first call involved Jonathon Edington. He reported that an ambulance and police were needed at 101 Colony Street and told them, “a man has been stabbed.” When the operator tried to gather more information and asked “who stabbed him,” Edington repeatedly requested that an ambulance be dispatched to the address and then hung up.

The dispatcher, identified as “Dispatcher 516,” called Edington back and was met with silence until Edington hung up again.

In the background of the first call, the female dispatcher was talking to Charles James, the father of Barry James, who lay bleeding to death on his bedroom floor.

The second file involved Charles James speaking with another dispatcher. Charles explained to the dispatcher that someone stabbed Barry James, and the dispatcher began asking required questions.

Charles and Barry’s mother discussed why Edington did this, and Barry James’s mother said Edington said something about his daughter. The James family did not even seem to know the name of the neighbor who stabbed their son.

Other details

Dispute over molestation allegations

James’s estate hired attorney Peter Ambrose. Peter Ambrose issued a statement on behalf of the James family disputing the allegations, saying:

“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.”

Attorney references and civil litigation naming

A lawyer for Mr. James’s parents served Christina Edington with a wrongful death lawsuit. Another report described a civil lawsuit pending against Edington and another civil lawsuit pending against Christina Edington.

Conflicting date references within the sentencing reporting

Some reporting described sentencing as occurring on Friday, August 31, 2007, while the case status field stated sentencing on August 17, 2007.