In the quiet shoreline town of Guilford, Connecticut, the holiday season of 2000 was shattered by a brutal act of violence that claimed the life of 4-year-old Kyle Redway, a young female. On December 27, 2000, Kyle, her 6-year-old sister Rachael Crum, and their 43-year-old mother, Katherine "Kitty" Kleinkauf, were found stabbed to death in their small cottage. The horrific discovery was reportedly made by another of Kleinkauf's daughters when she returned home.
An autopsy would later confirm that Kyle died from stab wounds to the chest.
The investigation quickly led to a suspect with a familial connection to the victims. John Mills, then 27 years old and the nephew of Katherine Kleinkauf, was arrested the day after the bodies were discovered. Mills, who had a lengthy criminal record, confessed to the gruesome slayings. His motive was a desperate need for money to buy drugs; he admitted to killing his aunt and two young cousins to steal an ATM card. The crime was particularly heinous as the three victims were attacked as they slept in their mother's bed, suffering a total of 30 stab wounds between them.
During his interrogation for the triple homicide, John Mills also provided police with information that solved another case. He led them to the remains of 20-year-old Mindy Elizabeth Leigh, who had been missing since October of that year. Mills was subsequently charged in her death as well. For the murders of his aunt and cousins, Mills faced charges of capital felony murder.
In October 2004, a Superior Court jury in New Haven convicted John Mills on multiple counts, including three counts of murder and three counts of capital felony. While the heinous nature of the crimes made him eligible for the death penalty, the jury ultimately spared his life. They cited mitigating factors such as his history of drug addiction and childhood abuse. Mills apologized for his actions before the jury, and he was sentenced to life in prison for the murders that tragically cut short the lives of Kyle Redway, her sister, and her mother.
