State: Danbury woman killed, man died by suicide
DANBURY — The woman who owns the Clayton Road home where police are investigating a murder-suicide died in a homicide, the state medical examiner’s office confirmed on Wednesday.
Korene Davis-Smith, who is listed in city records as the owner of the home that officers responded to on Monday afternoon, died from gunshot wounds to the head, neck and torso, according to the state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Preston Smith died from a gunshot
Korene Davis-Smith ... died from gunshot wounds to the head, neck and torso, according to the state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Preston Smith died from a gunshot wound to the head, and his death was ruled a suicide. wound to the head, and his death was ruled a suicide, the medical examiner’s office said.
Shortly after 3 p.m. Monday, Danbury police said they went to the Clayton Road home for a wellbeing check after a caller reported that family members had not seen or heard from the residents since Sunday.
“Upon arrival the officers discovered two adults, one male and one female unconscious on the floor of a basement bedroom, both with gunshot wounds to the head,” according to a statement police released Monday after
noon. “Fire and EMS personnel responded, but both victims were deceased.”
Police did not release the identities of the couple but said they were married, between the ages of 30 and 40, and had three children ranging in age from 9 to 13.
Danbury’s public information specialist, Erin Henry, said a gun legally owned by the husband was recovered at the scene.
The children are being cared for by family members, according to Henry. She said police believe the children were not home at the time but are unsure when the incident occurred.
By Tuesday morning, police had already removed the yellow caution tape around the home about halfway down the dead-end street, which sits off Jeanette Street in the city’s north side.
A neighbor said the couple and children had moved in a few months ago after purchasing the home. The neighbor said they would wave but never made a formal introduction to the young family, adding that they frequently saw the kids playing outside.
“This incident was terribly unfortunate for the children and the family,” Danbury Public Schools Superintendent Kevin Walston said Wednesday. “As always, we have provided grief counseling and other support to the impacted school(s).”
Danbury Public Schools’ chief officer of strategy and operations, Michael Seelig, said the district chose not to send community members emails or letters about the incident.
“The district has not sent any public messaging on the issue but rather, due to the sensitive nature of the incident and children involved, chose to handle communications internally,” he said in an email Wednesday.
Henry said police had not been called to the home in the last six years.
Police continue to investigate the murder-suicide — the second one in Danbury this year following the deaths of a local mother and her three children over the summer — and ask anyone with information to call 203-790-TIPS.