In what should have been a period of exciting new beginnings, 24-year-old Crystal Cooper, a Black female, met a tragic and untimely end. Having just moved into a Hartford, Connecticut apartment with her boyfriend, she was looking forward to a new chapter in her life. This chapter was brutally cut short on July 24, 2023, when she was found deceased in her residence on Russ Street.
Her death was the result of a violent act that also claimed the life of her partner.
Concern arose when Crystal, known for her diligence and work ethic, failed to show up for her job as a caregiver, where she was reportedly due for a promotion. This uncharacteristic absence prompted her family to perform a welfare check at her apartment. It was then that the devastating discovery was made. Crystal and her 35-year-old boyfriend, Irving Lollar, were both found with gunshot wounds.
The ensuing investigation by the Hartford Police Department's Major Crimes and Crime Scene divisions concluded that the incident was a murder-suicide. The state's Office of the Chief Medical Examiner later confirmed that Crystal Cooper's death was a homicide caused by gunshot wounds to her neck, torso, and extremities. Irving Lollar's death was ruled a suicide from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
As the investigation unfolded, it came to light that Lollar had a history of domestic disputes. Court records revealed that a restraining order had been filed against him by another woman just months prior to the incident, indicating a pattern of threatening behavior. Crystal, described by her family as being "full of life" and a person who made a memorable impression on everyone she met, was tragically the ninth victim of intimate partner homicide in Connecticut that year. Her death sent ripples of grief through her family and community, who remembered her as a hardworking and creative individual excited about her future.
