EAST WINDSOR — We are learning new details about the brutal murder of an elderly East Windsor man who was allegedly killed by his son.
40-year-old Gabriel Hesse was arraigned in Enfield Superior Court Monday. An 18 page arrest warrant details how Halsey ‘Sonny’ Hesse was stabbed about 70 times. Investigators say the murder weapon was most likely a screwdriver. Police found a bloody screwdriver inside Gabriel’s truck.
Investigators used DNA from that and other items to connect Gabriel to the murder. Danielle Cramer is Gabriel Hesse’s niece.
“This is a big shock to everyone. We don’t know how this could have happened,” Sonny’s neighbor, Rogelio Ferrada, said. “He was a good buddy, you know?”
Ferrada knew something was wrong when the lights in Sonny’s trailer never went off.
“That night he was suspicious because the light went on around 2 in the morning. Usually Sonny saves the lights,” said Ferrada.
Police found Sonny face down, dead in the kitchen of his mobile home on Fairway Drive on October 9th. “He came back from Vietnam in one piece and then he comes back to the states to get killed by somebody who knows him,” said Ferrada. He told Fox61 his son Gabriel used to come around every few weeks asking for money. “He even stole a couple of times from Sonny. He confessed to me that he stole from his wallet.”
Sonny had the locks changed to keep Gabriel out. “Before this happened, he wants to move in with him,” said Ferrada.
But Gabriel’s niece Danielle Cramer told FOX61 she has no idea what could have motivated her uncle to kill.
“No. I can’t think of anything that would lead Gabe to do that. I don’t think Gabe had a reason behind it,” she said.
Forensic cell phone records show Gabriel googled how to open a safe. Sonny had one filled with money in his trailer. They also found bloody shies hidden under some tires at his mobile home. Gabriel has pending cases for larceny, forgery, breach of peace and assault.
Gabriel Hesse also has substance abuse and mental health issues. He has two kids and a girlfriend. He’s being held on $2-million bond and he will be back in court next on December 3rd in Hartford.