HARTFORD, Conn.

Officials trying to ID two victims of 1944 circus fire

An effort is underway to identify the remains of two unknown victims of a massive fire at a Connecticut circus 75 years ago.

The Hartford Courant reports that a judge hearing an exhumation request on Monday asked for additional information and ordered public service announcements to be placed in two media outlets to make sure anyone with an interest in the exhumations has an opportunity to be heard.

The July 6, 1944, fire in Hartford killed 168 and injured 682.

Five victims remain unidentified and buried in a Windsor cemetery.

State Chief Medical Examiner James Gill wants to compare the unknown victims’ DNA to that of Sandra Sumrow, the granddaughter of 47-year-old Grace Fifield, a Newport, Vermont woman who was at the circus the day of the fire but was never seen again.

MALDEN, Mass.

Police: Man faked heart attack as accomplice robbed store

Police say a man faked a heart attack in a Massachusetts convenience store while his accomplice hopped over the counter to steal money from the register.

Malden police on Facebook say they responded to the store Sunday afternoon on reports of a theft.

Officers were told two white men entered together. Witnesses told police one “faked a heart attack” while the other grabbed the cash.

Both suspects then fled. Police are looking for them.

Police say that in addition to holding both men accountable for the robbery, they also want to make sure the suspect’s ” ‘heart problems’ have been taken care of by a medical professional.”

Police posted surveillance video and images of the men, hoping the public will help identify them.

BOSTON

Group issues reminder of unsafe summer toys

A consumer advocacy group is reminding parents of the dangers of classic summertime toys like baby pools, high-powered water guns and inflatable pool rings.

Boston-based World Against Toys Causing Harm issued its annual list of 10 “summer safety traps” Tuesday.

Other toys on the list include water balloon slingshots, on-ground water slides such as the Slip ‘N Slide, and projectile-firing toy guns.

Nonmotorized scooters also earned a spot because the organization says they’re responsible for most toy-related injuries.

Trampoline parks, all-terrain vehicles, pool covers and defective pool drain covers were other child safety risks included on the list.

The organization says July and August account for more preventable, accidental deaths than any other two-month period of the year.

GREENFIELD, Mass.

Man who slashed relatives’ throats gets 8-year sentence

A Massachusetts man who authorities say tried to kill his sister and brother-in-law by cutting their throats has been sentenced to up to eight years in prison.

The Recorder of Greenfield reports that 59-year-old Timothy Murphy, of Athol, was sentenced Monday after pleading guilty to multiple charges including two counts of attempted murder.

Prosecutors say Murphy went to Susan and William Page’s home in June 2018 and used a knife to cut them across the throat. A prosecutor said it was a “miracle” they survived. Authorities say Murphy blamed them for the loss of power at his mother’s home, where he had been living, when in fact he had failed to pay the utility bills.

Murphy’s attorney sought a shorter sentence, saying his client was remorseful.

– From news service reports

 

 

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