Jo Ann Karales was a creative and community-minded business owner who, with her husband, turned a simple household solution into a successful enterprise. The 66-year-old woman and her husband, William Karales, were the owners of Sea Lark Enterprises, LLC, which produced the Soap Lift, a biodegradable pad designed to help bar soap dry without leaving residue. The idea for the product was born from a common household annoyance when Jo Ann complained to her husband about soap scum in the shower.
He invented a self-draining pad, and after they used it for a year, a family member asked for one. Soon, other friends wanted them, and the couple realized they had a viable business.
From cutting the pads by hand in their garage and selling them at farmers' markets, Jo Ann and William grew Sea Lark Enterprises into a small business dedicated to giving back. They were involved in multiple community outreach efforts, including a program at a local high school where students, including those with intellectual disabilities, were paid to help create the pads. The company also regularly donated to local fundraisers, such as the library’s annual mini-golf tournament and school events. Jo Ann and her husband had lived in their home on Orchard Road in Woodbridge, Connecticut, for a couple of years.
On the morning of Friday, October 2, 2026, an employee of the couple's business grew concerned. Jo Ann and William had not shown up for work, and they were not answering their phones. The worried employee went to their home on Orchard Road but could not get in contact with them. At 11:49 a.m., the employee called the police to request a well-being check.
When officers from the Woodbridge Police Department arrived, they were unable to get a response from inside the house. They gained entry by climbing through a rear window and made a tragic discovery. Inside, they found both Jo Ann and her 71-year-old husband, William, deceased. The Connecticut State Police Western District Major Crime Squad was called in to assist the local department with processing the scene, and investigators remained there for more than eight hours. Neighbors in the quiet area expressed their shock, with one resident telling a reporter it was "terrible that people got shot in their own home."
The following day, the bodies were transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Farmington for autopsies. The medical examiner determined that Jo Ann Karales died from a shotgun wound, and her death was officially classified as a homicide. One report specified the wound was to her neck. William Karales also died from a shotgun wound, but his death was classified as a suicide.
Based on the evidence at the scene and the medical examiner's findings, police concluded that the deaths were the result of a murder-suicide. They stated that it was an isolated incident and that there was no ongoing danger to the public. Woodbridge Police Chief Ronald Smith issued a statement extending condolences to the family and friends of the Karales family and thanking the state police for their assistance in the investigation.
As of October 2026, the case was considered closed by law enforcement, with the primary suspect in Jo Ann's death being deceased. No further investigation was pending. The deaths of the business-owning couple left a community to grapple with the sudden and violent end to the lives of two of its members.
