The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Litchfield County mother pleads not guilty in shooting
NEW BRITAIN — A Connecticut mother accused of killing her teenage daughter and wounding her 7-year-old son pleaded not guilty to the charges on Thursday.
Naomi Bell, who grew up in Seymour and was living in Plymouth at the time of the incident, waived her right to a probable cause hearing and pleaded not guilty during a brief appearance via video conference in state Superior Court in New Britain.
The 44-year-old Bell was charged on Nov. 14 with murder with special circumstances and attempted murder with special circumstances. Police said the shootings took place the
day before in her Terryville home.
Bell was entitled to a probable cause hearing since the charges could carry a 60-year or life sentence. But speaking Thursday on video from a correctional institution, Bell told Judge Maureen Keegan, “I’ll think I’ll waive it,” when asked if she wanted the hearing.
Her public defender, Michael Isko, entered not guilty pleas for both charges moving the case forward to pretrial discussions. Isko also said his client would seek a jury trial.
Her next court date was scheduled for April 20 to give New Britain State’s Attorney Brian Preleski time to gather evidence, which will be turned over to Isko. Preleski said he hoped to have the materials, including police reports and other evidence, within two months, but he was still receiving information.
Keegan asked Isko if he would explain to his client that her court dates would likely continue to be virtual during the pandemic.
“We have to spend some time with Miss Bell, but that would be up to what would be permitted by the institution,” Isko said.
Bell has been held on $2.5 million bond at York Correctional Institution, the state’s only prison for women, since her arraignment in New Britain Superior Court on Nov. 16.
Bell was hospitalized twice since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic for depression and psychotic episodes, her husband told police, according to an affidavit of probable cause.
Her husband, Owen Bell, told police he was afraid to leave his wife with the children and thought she might not have been taking her medication, the affidavit said. He told investigators the pandemic seemed to further impact his wife’s mental health.
Her husband said she became depressed after the death of her sister in 2013, and “she did not spiral back from that,” the affidavit said. Naomi Bell was last hospitalized in October for 14 days, the affidavit said.
Owen Bell said it seemed the pandemic deepened his wife’s mental health issues, especially as she was home all day with the children, according to the affidavit. But “never in a million years” did he think she would shoot the children, the affidavit said.
But on Nov. 13, Owen Bell took one of the couple’s children to a basketball game, but then turned back home when his son realized he forgot his mask and water bottle.
Owen Bell said he called his wife’s cellphone, but she didn’t pick up. He told investigators when he called the family’s landline at the house, his 15-year-old daughter answered and was screaming, the affidavit said.
“I just heard horrible screaming,” Owen Bell told police, according to the affidavit.
He said he heard his 7-year-old son screaming as well, but neither child would respond to his questions about what happened, the affidavit said.
Owen Bell called 911 and raced back to his house. He got home before officers arrived and found his two children shot and his wife with a gun in her hands, “saying she wanted to die,” Owen Bell told police, the affidavit said. He then forced her out of the room and down the stairs just as police officers arrived, the affidavit said.
The teen was pronounced dead at Waterbury Hospital. The 7-year-old boy, who was shot in the back, was taken to a hospital to be treated for his injuries.