Christmas murder-suicide stuns lawyer’s colleague
WINDSOR LOCKS — David E. Kelly knew fellow attorney John Liquori for nearly two decades, but he can only speculate what may have motivated what police have described as a murder-suicide involving his wife on Christmas.
Suffield attorney John Liquori, 59, and his wife Cindy Liquori, 55, died of gunshot wounds to the head on Friday, according to James Gill, the state’s chief medical examiner.
“He was a suicide and she was a homicide,” Gill said Wednesday.
Kelly, of Spellman, Kelly & Fanous, said perhaps the added stress of practicing law during the COVID-19 pandemic had an effect on his colleague.
“I think the only good thing that comes out of this is that more attorneys will communicate how they are feeling,” he said.
Friends and colleagues were shocked and saddened by the deaths of the couple who owned a popular shop in Suffield, Kelly said.
“I’ve known John for almost 20 years,” Kelly said. “We were in the same town and our practices of law were similar. His wife was a wonderful person, too. Everyone is shocked. I would have never seen something like this coming. If you knew him, he’s the most laid back individual I’ve ever met.”
John Liquori handled mostly family and divorce cases, two of the most difficult areas of practice, Kelly said. But he said John Liquori seemed to handle even the most acrimonious proceedings in stride.
The couple did not appear to be financially insecure and had just bought property to expand a shop owned and run by Cindy Liquori in Suffield, Kelly said.
John Liquori is listed on the filing for the LLC for his wife’s business, Cindy's Soap Cottage, on South Main Street in East Windsor.
Several people left comments on the store’s Facebook page, expressing their condolences.
One described Cindy Liquori as generous to strangers.
“When COVID first hit and I had to continue to go to my classroom to teach remotely, she sent me hand sanitizer. I emailed asking how soon I could purchase some because you could not find it anywhere. She put a package in the mail that day,” one woman wrote.
The murder-suicide was reported to police around 6 p.m. Friday by someone who discovered the couple in a home on Dale Street, according to a report on the incident.
Arriving officers found the Liquoris in the home “with significant trauma and no signs of life,” according to police. Medics pronounced the Liquoris dead at 6:10 p.m.
The Connecticut State Police Central District Major Crime Squad responded to help Windsor Locks detectives with the investigation. Police said a weapon was recovered at the scene.
Atrusteewas appointed Tuesday to oversee John Liquori’s clients, according to court documents.
John Liquori was a licensed attorney in Connecticut since Nov. 20, 1986, court documents indicated. At the time of his death, the documents said, Liquori was a “solo practitioner” in Suffield who had “current clients and active cases.”
“This petition does not arise from any complaint, grievance or allegation of misconduct on the part of attorney Liquori, but rather from a need to take the appropriate action to protect attorney Liquor’s clients as a result of his recent demise,” the document stated.
Attorney Mary T. Bergamini was appointed as trustee to inventory John Liquori’s files, secure his clients’ fund accounts, take and review the office mail and protect the clients.