A 76-year-old Connecticut woman was found dead at her home Wednesday, hours before she was to be sentenced for killing her husband and hiding his body for months while continuing to collect his paychecks.
State police said they were investigating the “untimely death” of Linda Kosuda-Bigazzi after being called to her Burlington home for a welfare check shortly after 10:30 a.m. The cause of her death was under investigation, and police and her lawyer did not disclose any further details.
Kosuda-Bigazzi had been scheduled under a plea deal to be sentenced at 2 p.m. Wednesday in Hartford Superior Court to 13 years in prison for the 2017 death of her husband, Dr. Pierluigi Bigazzi, 84.
Her lawyer, Patrick Tomasiewicz, said her death was unexpected.
“We were honored to be her legal counsel and did our very best to defend her in a complex case for the past six years,” he said in a statement. “She was a very independent woman who was always in control of her own destiny.”
Kosuda-Bigazzi pleaded guilty to manslaughter and larceny in March after having been charged with murder in the death of Bigazzi, a professor of laboratory science and pathology at UConn Health. In writings found at her house, Kosuda-Bigazzi said she killed her husband with a hammer in self-defense, state police said. She was free after having posted more than $1.5 million for bail.
Police said Kosuda-Bigazzi wrote that she and her husband got into a fight after she told him repairs were needed to their home’s backyard deck. She wrote that he came at her with a hammer and she managed to wrestle it away from him during a lengthy struggle, authorities said.
“I hit him just swinging the hammer in any direction + then he was quiet — for a few seconds + then he stopped breathing,” she wrote, according to investigators. “I just wanted to slow him down. I sat on the floor by the kitchen cabinets across from the stove — next to him for a long time.”
State troopers found her husband’s body in their basement in February 2018 during a wellness check requested by UConn Health staff. It was wrapped in plastic and showed an advanced stage of decomposition, authorities said. The medical examiner said he had died from blunt trauma to his head.
Investigators have said they believe Pierluigi Bigazzi died sometime in July 2017 and that his UConn Health paychecks continued to be deposited into the couple’s joint checking account until his body was found.
An internal investigation by UConn resulted in the disciplining of a school medical official who was supposed to monitor Pierluigi Bigazzi’s work but had no contact with him in the months before his body was found.
A tragic turn of events has unfolded in Connecticut as a woman was found deceased just days before she was set to be sentenced for the murder of her husband. The case has shocked the community and raised questions about the circumstances surrounding her death.
The woman, whose name has not been released by authorities, was convicted earlier this year for the murder of her husband. The couple’s tumultuous relationship had been well-documented, with reports of domestic violence and abuse leading up to the fatal incident. The woman claimed self-defense in the killing, but the jury ultimately found her guilty of first-degree murder.
As the sentencing date approached, news broke that the woman had been found dead in her home. Authorities have not released many details about the circumstances of her death, but foul play has not been ruled out. The timing of her death, just days before she was set to learn her fate in court, has left many wondering if there is more to the story than meets the eye.
The tragic turn of events has left both the victim’s and the defendant’s families reeling. The husband’s family has expressed shock and disbelief at the news, while the woman’s family is left grappling with the loss of their loved one and the uncertainty surrounding her death.
The case has also sparked a larger conversation about domestic violence and its impact on individuals and families. The fact that this woman was facing sentencing for killing her husband highlights the complex and often devastating consequences of abuse within relationships. It serves as a stark reminder of the importance of addressing and preventing domestic violence in all its forms.
As the investigation into the woman’s death continues, many are left with more questions than answers. What led to her untimely demise? Was it related to the murder of her husband, or was it a separate tragedy altogether? Only time will tell as authorities work to uncover the truth behind this heartbreaking turn of events.
In the meantime, the community mourns the loss of both individuals involved in this tragic case. It serves as a sobering reminder of the devastating impact that domestic violence can have on individuals and families, and the importance of seeking help and support in times of crisis.
