MIDDLEBURY — Police have charged a Waterbury man with the murder of an elderly Middlebury man found in the driveway of his own home.
Steven Brockett, 44, of Waterbury was charged with murder, first-degree robbery and first-degree assault of an elderly person when he was arrested around 6 p.m. Wednesday.
State Police remained on the scene for more than 36 hours after Isidore Ellin, 79, was discovered lying in a pool of blood in his driveway on 41 Tower Rd. in Middlebury around 6:30 a.m. Tuesday.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled Ellin died from blunt force trauma to the head, and Connecticut State Police said in a news conference that Brockett used a nearby object weapon to kill Ellin, but Trooper Kelly Grant declined to go into specifics about the type of weapon.
“He did use a weapon of opportunity, but exactly what, is part of the detectives continuing investigation,” Grant said.
Brockett is being charged with robbery because police say an undisclosed amount of cash was taken from Ellin.
State Police Major Crime Squad were called to investigate at the request of the Middlebury Police Department, though police said there was no threat to the public. Brockett and Ellin knew each other, though police are not yet sure how well they were acquainted or in what capacity.
“They were associates, this is not a random act, they did know one another. There’s no threat to the community, no threat to the public,” Trooper Grant said.
Brockettt was interviewed at Troop A in Southbury and during the interview state police said information was revealed that pointed him as a suspect. He was formally arrested around 6 p.m. Thursday.
“Steven Brockett was part of the investigation as a witness. Through the interview process we were able to develop information,” said Trooper Grant.
Brockett was held on a $750,000 bond and will be arraigned on Thursday in Superior Court in Waterbury.
Middlebury Police Chief James Viadero said the death was suspicious because of the time of day it occurred, the amount of blood and the wounds found on the victim’s body.
Viadero says Ellin was a long-time resident of Middlebury and had lived alone.
“His neighbors knew him well. He’s been a resident of that community of quite some time,” said Chief Viadero.
Ellin is listed a real estate agent with Real Quest Realty in Middlebury, and according to his online obituary was a “well-loved Physics professor and entrepreneur.”
Ellin was born in Israel in 1936, and emigrated as a young child with his family to Ellington, Connecticut. He leaves behind a former spouse, three children and three grandchildren.
“His unique prospective on life and smart advice will be missed,” according to the obituary.
Ellin’s funeral will be held Thursday in Waterbury, on the same day as his alleged killer is scheduled to appear in court.
Steven Brockett has previously served time in jail for larceny, assault in the second degree and issuing a bad check. There is a case pending against him for illegal operation of a motor vehicle by an operator who doesn’t have enough insurance and whose license is suspended.
Neighbor Nino Foschini owns the house next door to 41 Tower Rd., which is where the man was found. Foschini said the home belongs to an elderly man.
“I believe he lived alone,” said Foschini. “I believe he had some tenants in the past. I think recently he was the only one living at the house.”
Police said the quiet nature of the neighborhood makes the situation even stranger. People who live on Tower Road agreed.
“I was shocked,” said Susan McGrath. “I can’t believe it. You just don’t hear of this sort of thing in Middlebury.”Police are investigating a suspicious death in Middlebury.
“It’s a very quiet neighborhood,” said Vito Anzalone. “And you just never expect something like that to happen here.”
“Very, very quiet residential neighborhood,” said Chief Ciadero. “It’s a dead-end cul-de-sac, so we don’t really get a lot of criminal activity out here. So that makes it even more unusual.”
The town’s first selectman told FOX 61 that the area is not crime-prone. He added the last time Middlebury saw a homicide was also decades ago, but that crime was also committed on Tower Road.
Anyone with information about this latest crime is asked to call State Police Troop A in Southbury or the Middlebury Police Department.
