NEW BRITAIN, Conn. — It was a day of reckoning for a New Britain family, who confronted their loved one’s alleged killer for the first time face to face.
46-year-old Vincent Blair is charged with the killing of 27-year-old Moenisha Collins.
Following the killing, Blair fled the state. He was captured a day later by a SWAT team at a motel in Pennsylvania and brought back to Connecticut to face a judge.
“I’m hurting. He took my little sister from me. My best friend,” said Justina Collins, Moenisha’s sister.
Just hours after burying Collins, her family and friends mustered the strength to face her alleged killer in court.
“They should not feed him. They should let him suffer because the 10-year-old great-grandchild of mine has gone without her mother,” stated Rev. Deborah Copeland, a family member of Moenisha.
Blair of Hartford has an extensive criminal past. He spent years in prison across multiple states for violent crimes. He was dating Moenisha and allegedly shot her dead on Dec. 1 inside her New Britain apartment.
It’s a shocking but all too common case of domestic violence.
“Domestic violence is real. And unless we start showing that we don’t give them any consideration, we are going to be the ones losing our daughters by gunshots,” said Copeland.
Blair allegedly pulled the trigger after her 10-year-old daughter left for school. The daughter came home at 4 p.m. to find her mother dead.
“She just misses her mom. She’s a strong little girl and she’s doing the best that she can but her mother was taken from her in a tragic and horrible way and she has to see it. She was the first one to see it,” remarked Justina.
Moenisha was remembered in her obituary as, “sassy but sweet, strong yet gentle,” and a person who, “showed love in an extraordinary way.”
She recently learned she was pregnant with Blair’s child.
“I think they should give him double homicide. I don’t know where they are going with one because those were two people,” said Copeland.
Following an emotional arraignment, the family hugged and prayed outside New Britain Superior Court, knowing their lives were forever altered.
“Yeah, this is news. But this is also my life. I’m living it every single day,” said Justina. “I have to live knowing that a monster took my sister away from me and my family and her daughter and my life is forever changed by that.”
A 13-page warrant detailed how police used location data from Blair’s cell phone to track him to Pennsylvania where he was arrested and, according to the warrant, confessed.
He told police, “he was responsible for whatever they had him in there for.”
Blair was ordered held on a $5 million bond. To be released he’ll have to front 75% of that in cash. He’s due back in court next on Jan. 3.
Moenisha’s family said they’ll be working to keep her memory alive and are encouraging all victims of domestic violence to break the cycle and speak out to save a life.
Matt Caron is a reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at mcaron@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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