Conn. Mom Was Allegedly Murdered with Ax by Ex-Boyfriend in Attack Witnessed by Teen Son

Ewen Dewitt, 42, of Roxbury, has been charged with murder, risk of injury, and reckless endangerment in connection with the death of 40-year-old Julie Minogue

Photo: GoFundMe

A Connecticut mother of three was allegedly killed with an ax by her ex-boyfriend in an attack that authorities say was witnessed by her teenage son.

Ewen Dewitt, 42, of Roxbury, has been charged with murder, risk of injury and reckless endangerment in connection the death of 40-year-old Julie Minogue, according to the Milford Police Department. Dewitt is also charged with violation of a protection order and restraining order, the latter of which was granted just five days before the killing, authorities said.

Police said the 911 call they received on Dec. 6 was made by the victim's 17-year-old son, who reported his mother was being assaulted by a man inside their home.

He was woken up by screams and went downstairs, where he thought he heard DeWitt yelling, "You didn't believe me," Fox61 reports citing court documents. The teen claimed DeWitt was holding an ax and his mother was on the floor, covered in blood.

The teen then ran upstairs, dialed 911 and jumped out of his bedroom window, where he was met by police, the station said.

Responding officers found Minogue's body on the kitchen floor surrounded by blood. They also discovered a large ax on the stove, Oxygen reports.

Police said the victim's 3-year-old son was also inside the home during the alleged slaying, but was unharmed. Both children are in the care of family members.

Though Dewitt fled the scene before law enforcement arrived, a suspect matching his description was captured on Ring camera footage provided to Fox61, which shows a man walking with an ax near the scene of the attack, the outlet reports.

Dewitt was eventually arrested in West Haven, but not before his mother informed police that she had received a call from him in which he claimed to have "killed his girlfriend," according to court documents, News8 reports.

Milford Police Department

According to an affidavit obtained by the CT Post, Minogue claimed she feared DeWitt would kill her, and that's exactly what authorities allege happened that day.

"I don't feel I should be subjected to this abuse any longer," she allegedly wrote in the restraining order she was granted on Dec. 1, the outlet reports. According to police, he had sent several harassing text messages to Minogue in the days leading up to the filing.

However, this is not Dewitt's first encounter with law enforcement.

He was previously arrested by Milford police in November 2019 for assaulting Minogue and a protective order was issued at the time, authorities said.

Julie Minogue's sister, Allison Barotti-Corcoran, said on a GoFundMe that the single mother "was a victim of domestic violence and had tried multiple times to keep her and her children safe."

Now, Nicholas, Shaun and 3-year-old Luke, are left without a mother, someone who cared for them with "ease and love," the fundraiser's description reads.

Barotti-Corcoran hopes that by raising $100,000, her nephews will have enough financial support to be able to thrive in their careers and continue their education.

Dewitt was arraigned at the Connecticut Superior Court in Milford on Dec. 7 and is being held on a $5,000,000 bond, authorities said. It's not immediately clear if the suspect has entered a plea or retained an attorney to comment on his behalf.