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Co-defendent acquitted in deadly Branford arson

HARTFORD – A co-defendant in the 2006 arson murder of a Branford woman was acquitted of the charge at federal court in New Haven Friday morning. Steven Ma...
Branford arson

HARTFORD – A co-defendant in the 2006 arson murder of a Branford woman was acquitted of the charge at federal court in New Haven Friday morning.

Steven Martone was accused of entering the two-story house of  Kathy Hardy, 39, in Branford on March 7, 2006, dousing the living room and stairs leading up to her second floor bedroom with an accelerant, and then setting the house on fire while she was sleeping.

The indictment stated that Martone bragged to someone that it was impossible for police to have any DNA evidence, “because of the way we left that.”

Prosecutors said John Vailette, along with Martone, set fire to the home.

After the fire, police recovered some of Hardy’s belongings, including jewelry, from a pickup truck Vailette was driving around.

Vailette was found guilty in October.

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