In the quiet town of Plainville, Connecticut, the life of Robert Michael "Bob" Holcomb, a 28-year-old Caucasian male, was tragically cut short on the evening of November 21, 1977. Holcomb, a dedicated police officer with five years of service, was responding to a residential burglary call when the fatal encounter unfolded. Upon his arrival at the scene, he interrupted two men in the act of burglarizing a home.
As the two suspects fled the house, Officer Holcomb bravely pursued one of them into a wooded area across the street. There, waiting in the shadows, the man he was chasing turned on him. A struggle ensued, and Holcomb was shot once in the arm. The assailant then stood over the fallen officer and fired four more shots into his chest. Robert Holcomb was rushed to New Britain General Hospital, but his wounds proved to be fatal, and he died shortly after.
The investigation into the murder of Officer Holcomb led to the identification of two suspects: 33-year-old Gary Castonguay and his nephew, Rocco Testa. In the course of the investigation, Testa was granted immunity in exchange for his testimony against his uncle. Castonguay was subsequently charged with and convicted of the murder of Officer Robert Holcomb. He was sentenced to a term of 25 years to life in prison for his crime. The murder weapon, a. 38 caliber gun, was later recovered from Pine Lake in Bristol.
Over the years, Gary Castonguay has become eligible for parole on multiple occasions. In January 2015, he was granted parole, a decision that was met with outrage from Holcomb's family and the law enforcement community, who had not been properly notified of the hearing. Following the outcry, the parole decision was quickly revoked. Castonguay has since been denied parole in subsequent hearings and, as of late 2022, remained incarcerated. In Plainville, the memory of Officer Holcomb is honored by a street renamed Robert Holcomb Way, a lasting tribute to his service and sacrifice.
