In the winter of 1985, a young woman's life was tragically cut short, leaving her family with unanswered questions that would haunt them for decades. Twenty-year-old April Grisanti was last seen in Norwalk, Connecticut, in the early morning hours of February 1, 1985. The night before, on January 31st, she had been at a local establishment called Binki's Cafe with her 33-year-old boyfriend, James Aaron Jr., who was known by the nickname 'Purple'.
Witnesses reported that the two were arguing, and Aaron was seen forcing April into his car. Later that evening, they were seen at another bar, Anthony's Cafe on Main Street, where the atmosphere was tense. Employees and patrons noticed April was visibly upset and crying, with a mark on her neck. Her distress was so apparent that she used the phone at the bar to call the police, leaving an emotional message for a specific officer. About a half-hour before she vanished, police spoke with April at the cafe about the dispute; she told them Aaron had assaulted her and one of her fingers was bleeding, but she ultimately declined to have him arrested.
The situation escalated just after midnight. April left Anthony's Bar and crossed the street to use a payphone, presumably to call for a ride home. It was at this moment that Aaron followed her out of the bar and forcefully abducted her. Several witnesses saw the struggle, hearing April yell for help as Aaron pushed her head down and forced her into his light blue Cadillac El Dorado. As the car drove away, heading north on Main Street before turning onto New Canaan Avenue, April was seen kicking and screaming inside the vehicle. She was never seen or heard from again. Later that day, after April failed to show up for her shift at Binki's Cafe, her mother reported her missing. The search for April began, and about a month later, her wallet, which contained her driver's license, credit cards, and birth certificate, was found abandoned near a local school. Sometime after that, her own car was discovered submerged in the Norwalk River near Ann Street.
The investigation quickly focused on James Aaron Jr. as the primary suspect. Aaron claimed he had let April out of his car at a stoplight just a few blocks from the bar, a story authorities did not believe. He was arrested in late February 1985 and was later convicted of second-degree kidnapping and unlawful restraint in connection with April's disappearance. He served approximately six years in prison and was released in 1991. This was not the first time Aaron had been linked to a woman's disappearance; his estranged wife, Mary Frattalone-Aaron, had gone missing in 1981 while they were discussing divorce. Her skeletal remains were found in a wooded area a month later, and while Aaron was questioned, he was never charged in her presumed homicide. Despite being the only suspect in April's case, he was never charged with her murder because her body was never found. Aaron died of natural causes in 2016, taking any secrets he had to his grave.
For years, April's family has been left in a painful state of limbo, grieving for a loved one whose final resting place remains unknown. In 1992, April Grisanti was legally declared dead, a formal acknowledgment of a loss her family had felt for years. Her family filed a lawsuit against the Norwalk Police Department, alleging they had not taken her domestic violence complaints seriously, which was settled in 1994. The case of April Grisanti is a heartbreaking story of a young life violently taken. It serves as a somber illustration of the devastating consequences of domestic violence and the enduring pain a family must face when a loved one vanishes without a trace, leaving behind a cold case that, for them, will never truly be closed until she is brought home.Last Seen: Feb 1, 1985
