On the evening of March 20, 2022, the life of 37-year-old Black / African American female Dominique Vernice Curtis was tragically cut short in Meriden, Connecticut. Responding to multiple reports of gunfire at approximately 9:25 p.m., police arrived at the Atrium Condominium and Apartment complex on East Main Street to a grim discovery. Curtis was found in the driveway of the complex with multiple gunshot wounds. Despite the efforts of medical personnel, she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Dominique, a mother of three, was a former standout track athlete at Hillhouse High School and Delaware State University. At the time of her death, she was working as a state correctional officer and was an active member of her community.
The investigation into her death quickly identified a suspect: 36-year-old Tyrese Worthy. The incident was characterized by authorities as a case of domestic violence. Following the shooting, Worthy fled the scene on foot. In his attempt to escape, he reportedly knocked on doors in the surrounding neighborhood, asking to use a phone. His desperation escalated when he committed an armed carjacking near the Interstate 91 on-ramp at Preston Avenue and fled the area. This brazen act prompted a multi-agency manhunt involving local police and the U.S. Marshals Service.
Meriden police secured several arrest warrants for Worthy, charging him with murder, criminal possession of a firearm, and multiple counts of risk of injury to a minor, as children were found hiding near the scene. The search for Worthy continued for several weeks. However, the case came to a somber conclusion on April 5, 2022. On that day, authorities found Tyrese Worthy deceased in a residence on Plymouth Street in New Haven. His death was the result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. With the death of the sole suspect, the criminal case concerning the murder of Dominique Curtis was officially closed. In the wake of this tragedy, local authorities emphasized the importance of resources available to individuals in violent domestic relationships.
