Nancy Jean Champion Lanza, a 52-year-old Caucasian female, was killed on December 14, 2012. A former resident of Kingston, New Hampshire, she had been living in Newtown, Connecticut, since 1998. Born in Salem, Massachusetts, Nancy was the daughter of Dorothy and the late Donald Champion. After graduating from Sanborn Regional High School and attending the University of New Hampshire, she worked for John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company in Boston until 1992.
In her community, she was known for being a kind and loving person who volunteered for local charities, particularly women's shelters. She enjoyed flower gardening, traveling, the arts, and museums, and was an avid Red Sox fan and a lover of jazz music.
On the morning of December 14, 2012, Nancy Lanza was shot and killed by her 20-year-old son, Adam Lanza, in her bed at their Newtown home. The state's Chief Medical Examiner confirmed that she died from multiple gunshot wounds to the head. The weapon used was a. 22-caliber rifle. There were no other suspects in her death.
Following the murder of his mother, Adam Lanza drove to Sandy Hook Elementary School, where he shot and killed 20 children and six adults before taking his own life. As the perpetrator was deceased, no arrests were made in connection with Nancy Lanza's death. Investigations into the motive for the killings, including the murder of his mother, did not yield a clear reason for his actions. A report from the Connecticut State Attorney's office in November 2013 concluded that Lanza had acted alone and planned his actions, but his motive remained unknown.
