Sandy Hook investigator honored

The state’s attorney for the Danbury Judicial District was given a lifetime achievement award Thursday evening for his work investigating and prosecuting child abuse cases, as well as investigating the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, according to the state Division of Criminal Justice.

Stephen J. Sedensky III was one of many honored at the Connecticut Criminal

Justice Educational and Charitable Association’s 18th annual John M. Bailey Memorial Scholarship & Awards Dinner in Southington.

“Sedensky has distinguished himself in numerous areas and on many cases, notably conducting the investigation into the shootings of 26 children and teachers at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, including a determination of whether the shooter acted alone,” the department said of the 2022 Kevin T. Kane Lifetime Achievement Award winner. “He is a national leader in the area of child abuse investigations and prosecutions, pioneering the Finding Words program in Connecticut and serving for many years as co-chair of the Governor’s Task Force on Justice for Abused Children.”

Sedensky began his career with the state attorney’s office in Bridgeport, moving on to become supervisory assistant state’s attorney for the Statewide Prosecution Bureau before assuming his current role.

Three prosecutors were also honored for their “exemplary work in the matters of State v. Sergio Correa and State v. Ruth Correa,” the successful prosecutions of a brother and sister convicted of the murders of Kenneth and Janet Lindquist and their son, Matthew.

The three 2022 Oliver Ellsworth Prosecutor of the Year Awards were presented to Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorney Stephen Carney, Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Thomas DeLillo and Assistant State’s Attorney Marissa Goldberg of the Judicial District of New London.

The three prosecutors’ nominations said they “exhibited tireless dedication in the preparation and trial of an extremely complex case and their professionalism exemplified the best of what prosecutors should strive to be,” according to the department.

The 2022 Employee of the Year Award was presented to Inspector Herbert Johnson of the Judicial District of Ansonia/Milford for his actions in an incident “that is yet another reminder that Division of Criminal Justice Inspectors are sworn law enforcement officers on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” officials said.