WATERBURY, Conn. — A Connecticut woman who plead guilty to killing a Waterbury educator in October of 2022 was sentenced in court Wednesday morning. Heather Anderson will now serve a minimum of 25 years for the murder of 34-year-old Shelley Stamp.
“When you murder somebody, and this is true for you or any other defendant before me, you don’t just murder the complainant. In a lot of ways, you murder their entire family,” said Superior Court Judge Joseph Schwartz in Waterbury.
Before Schwartz revealed Anderson’s 30-year sentence, Stamp’s family delivered their victim impact statements, addressing the court and their loved one’s killer.
“I struggle every day with a hole in my soul. The only thing that has kept me going are my two daughters and my husband. I now suffer with depression, PTSD, anxiety and frequent anxiety attacks. (The) onset of these conditions was October 29th of 2022,” said Laura Tajildeen, Stamp’s sister.
That’s when prosecutors said Anderson and her alleged co-defendant, Shannon Gritzback, pulled up to Stamp’s Newbury Street apartment as Stamp was coming home from her third job. Prosecutors said Gritzback stayed in the car while Anderson followed Stamp and attacked her, robbed her and murdered her in her apartment. Hours later, Stamp was found with a head wound and her own clothing wrapped around her neck.
“This death; there was no reason, no excuse. No justification. It’s a senseless and horrible act done out of greed,” said Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorney Donald Therkildsen, Jr.
Prosecutors said video evidence shows Anderson going in and out of Stamp’s home for more than an hour, leaving with her shoes, wallet and leftover food from her fridge. All, they said, for a small amount of drug money.
“The evidence shows she attacked the victim, caused injuries to this victim. Somehow that shirt got wrapped around her neck. And Ms. Anderson was the only one in the apartment,” Therkildsen, Jr. said.
Tajildeen and her mother begged the judge to deliver a harsh sentence for Anderson. This, after she accepted a 30-year plea deal last December. During the proceedings, prosecutors have argued for a 36-year sentence, while the family was hoping to put Anderson away for life.
“Please reconsider the sentence of 25 to 30 years and see that justice is finally served. Keep this animal in prison for the rest of her miserable life. This is the only justice,” said Kathy Daversa, Stamp’s mother.
For almost two years, Daversa and Tajildeen have been fighting relentlessly to get justice for Stamp.
“It’s the most serious crime we have here in Connecticut,” Schwartz said.
The judge explained to the family that though 60 years is the maximum sentence for this charge, the plea deal took precedent, to avoid a trial.
“The court has to consider plea offers because I’m also worried about you. As much as you feel the criminal justice system has failed you today, when she’s getting 30 years, I can’t imagine how you would feel if after trial, she wasn’t found guilty,” Schwartz said.
The answer was accepted by the Stamp family, though they don’t agree with it.
“I totally understand what the judge said. I don’t like it; I don’t have to like it. But I totally understand what he said,” Daversa said.
Now, Stamp’s family said they will continue to do their best to show up for Shelley.
“She had a heart of gold and always gave everyone the benefit of the doubt. Some who may not have deserved it,” Tajildeen said.
“Our family is destroyed. We are at a loss. We will never mend. Time does not heal all wounds,” Daversa said. “My daughter lost the most precious gift in the world; she lost her life.”
Stamp’s family feels like this case isn’t over yet, with Gritzbach out on misdemeanor charges. Police did arrest and charge her for being the driver in this incident, but the family said they’ve been told by prosecutors that they do not have any evidence of Gritzbach being in Stamp’s apartment, or having anything to do with the murder.
“The fact is, she drove Heather Anderson to my daughter’s apartment. She was there, she didn’t stop her, didn’t try to go in and knock on the door to see where she was or what was going on. She drove Heather away from there,” Daversa said. “So, she’s absolutely an accomplice and needs to serve some time for this as well.”
Julia LeBlanc is a reporter at FOX61 News. She can be reached at jleblanc@fox61.com Follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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