On June 18, 2003, a 44-year-old African-American transgender woman named Janice Roberts was last seen alive in New Britain, Connecticut. She was observed getting into a blue van outside a Stop & Shop in Wethersfield and was reported missing six days later, on June 24. Her disappearance would remain a mystery for years, part of a larger, more sinister story that was slowly unfolding in the area.
It wasn't until 2007 that the first grim discoveries were made.
A hunter stumbled upon human bones behind a shopping plaza in New Britain. This led to a wider search of the area, which became known as the killer's "garden," and over the years, more remains were unearthed. In April 2015, some of the remains found at the Hartford Road site were identified as belonging to Janice Roberts. Her body was one of seven that were found at the same address between 2007 and 2015.
The individual responsible for these deaths was identified as William Devin Howell, who is considered one of the most prolific serial killers in Connecticut's history. Howell was already incarcerated, serving a 15-year sentence for the manslaughter of one of his other victims, Nilsa Arizmendi, whose blood had been found in his van. Howell later confessed to an informant that he had strangled Roberts after he had tried to engage in a sexual act with her and discovered she was a transgender woman. In November 2017, Howell pleaded guilty to the murders of Roberts and five other women and was sentenced to six consecutive life sentences, ensuring he would spend the rest of his life in prison. During his sentencing, he cried and apologized to the families of his victims for his "monstrous, cowardly and selfish" actions.
