CONNECTICUT, USA — On November 13, officers arrived at a home on North Main St. to find two children, one 15-years-old and one seven-years-old, suffering from gunshot wounds. Both were taken to the hospital and the 15-year-old was later pronounced dead.
Police have since charged the mother, 43-year-old Naomi Bell was charged with murder with special circumstances and Criminal Attempt to Commit Murder with Special Circumstances. As of the time of this writing, her seven-year-old remains in critical condition.
According to the Connecticut Penal Code, for a charge of murder with special circumstances to be applied, the offense must meet the following criteria :
- Murder of a member of the Division of State Police within the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection or of any local police department, a chief inspector or inspector in the Division of Criminal Justice, a state marshal who is exercising authority granted under any provision of the general statutes, a judicial marshal in performance of the duties of a judicial marshal, a constable who performs criminal law enforcement duties, a special policeman appointed under section 29-18, a conservation officer or special conservation officer appointed by the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection under the provisions of section 26-5, an employee of the Department of Correction or a person providing services on behalf of said department when such employee or person is acting within the scope of such employee's or person's employment or duties in a correctional institution or facility and the actor is confined in such institution or facility, or any firefighter, while such victim was acting within the scope of such victim's duties
- murder committed by a defendant who is hired to commit the same for pecuniary gain or murder committed by one who is hired by the defendant to commit the same for pecuniary gain;
- murder committed by one who has previously been convicted of intentional murder or of murder committed in the course of commission of a felony;
- murder committed by one who was, at the time of commission of the murder, under sentence of life imprisonment;
- murder by a kidnapper of a kidnapped person during the course of the kidnapping or before such person is able to return or be returned to safety;
- murder committed in the course of the commission of sexual assault in the first degree;
- murder of two or more persons at the same time or in the course of a single transaction; or
- murder of a person under sixteen years of age.
Bell is being held on a $2.5 million bond and was arraigned in New Britain Superior Court on November 16th. A memorial has been placed in front of the home to remember the 15-year-old that was killed.
Below are some other notable cases of the suspect being charged with murder with special circumstances:
