Covington

New Haven >> A Superior Court judge Monday ruled there is probable cause to prosecute Jeffrey Covington on a murder charge for allegedly shooting to death 17-year-old Taijhon Washington.

Covington, 19, of New Haven, also faces a charge of first-degree assault for allegedly shooting and wounding Washington’s half-brother, Travon Washington, 16, as the two youths crossed a Newhallville Street March 24.

Judge Brian T. Fischer made his decision late Monday afternoon after two full days of testimony. Covington probably won’t go on trial until next spring at the earliest.

Read more at the Register.

Police ask anyone with information to call them at 203-946-6304. Calls can be made anonymously.

Athiyan Sivakumar
Age:1
Date of incident: Jan. 19
Weapon: Blunt force trauma
Case status: Total of three arrests made, one for first-degree manslaughter.
Crime location 71 Weybossett St.

Description: Sivakumar was being babysat by Kinjal Patel when she allegedly shook him and pushed him to the floor after he became fussy about eating, according to police. He was taken to the hospital and died three days later.

Sivakumar's parents were charged with risk of injury and interfering with police after they allegedly lied to detectives and violated a service agreement with the Department of Children and Families that barred them from using babysitters pending further investigation into a previous incident.

Durell Patrick Law
Age: 20
Date of incident: Jan. 20.
Weapon: Gun
Case status: Unsolved
Crime location: 130 Eastern St.

Description: Law was shot and killed in the afternoon on Eastern Street. He was the first gun violence homicide victim of the year in the city.

The homicide was the third in a row on the Eastern side of the city, something which up until a couple of months before Law's killing was a rarity.

Law's family urged anyone with information to come forward to police.

Varnouard Hall
Age: 33
Date of incident: Jan. 31
Weapon: Gun
Case status: Unsolved
Crime location: Intersection of East Pearl Street and Pierpont Street.

Description: Hall was shot and killed at the intersection of East Pearl Street and Pierpont Street, possibly in a drive-by incident.
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About 60 people attended a vigil at the spot where Hall was killed a couple of days after the incident. He was remembered as a someone who helped steer friends and family members in the right direction.

Kyle Brown-Edwards
Age: 22
Date of incident: Feb. 10
Weapon: Gun
Case status: Unsolved
Crime location: 31 Kossuth St.

Description: Brown-Edwards was shot in the head at his residence at 31 Kossuth St.

His older brother, Dennis Carr Jr., was shot and killed in 1997 one city block away from where Brown-Edwards was shot. Brown-Edwards, then 5-years-old, wrote a letter, which was read in court.

“Why did that boy kill my brother?” Edwards’ letter said. “The only time I get to talk to him is just to go to the grave. I tell my mother everything is going to be OK. She may have lost one son, but she has me to watch over her.”

Taijhon Washington
Age: 17
Date of incident: March 24
Weapon: Gun
Case status: Arrest made, case pending.
Crime location: Intersection of Butler Street and Lilac Street.

Description: Washington and his 16-year-old half-brother were shot while walking near the intersection of Butler and Lilac streets. His half-brother survived a gunshot wound to the head, but Washington succumbed to a gunshot wound to the chest.

Police arrested Jeffrey Covington aka "Nephew Jeff" for the killing. A police arrest warrant indicates that the incident may be gang-related, but Washington's relatives said he wasn't involved in gang activity.

Torrence Gamble
Age: 16
Date of incident: April 3
Weapon: Gun
Case status: Unsolved
Crime location: 78 Daggett St.

Description: Gamble became the youngest homicide victim of the year after he was found shot in the head near 79 Daggett St.

He attended the funeral for homicide victim Taijhon Washington, 17, the day before he was shot. Hundreds of people, including Mayor Toni Harp and Superintendent Garth Harries attended Gamble's funeral.


Otis Powell
Age: 44
Date of incident: May 17
Weapon: Gun
Case status: Unsolved
Crime location: 465 Winthrop Ave.

Description: Powell had been found not guilty of assault with intent to murder in Michigan just a couple of weeks before he was shot and killed in New Haven.

Powell was visiting the city, which is where he used to live when he was killed. Police continue to investigate the case.

New Haven Police Officers, Michael Haines, left, and Brendan Borer (Mara Lavitt - New Haven Register)

The number of shooting and homicide victims is nearly the same for 2014 compared to the first half of 2013. 

There were seven homicide victims as of June 29, 2014, compared to eight for the same time period last year. There were 30 non-fatal shooting victims in 2014 compared to 31 for the same period in 2013.

Reports of robberies committed with a firearm have dropped by 30 percent from 140 last year compared to 98 this year as of June 29.

All property crimes categories are down from last year. The most significant reduction is theft from automobiles, which has tanked more than 41 percent compared to the same time period last year.

New Haven crime stats half of 2014

Brian Gibson

Errol Marshal

One year ago today on July 3, 2013, the city lost two young men to gun violence.

Brian Gibson, 23, was shot on South Genesee Street during a hot summer afternoon.


Errol Marshal, 19, was found on the front porch of 295 Division St. around 10:30 p.m. and was pronounced dead at the scene. Courtney Jackson, 25, of New Haven, was found at 169 Shelton Ave. with a gunshot wound to the abdomen, which he survived. 

Video from South Genesee Street

Police believe that the incidents are related. Jahmal Fulcher, 19, was arrested and charged with the murder of Gibson. Fulcher was developed as a suspect early on in the investigation. Police previously said that they believed a disagreement between the two led to the shooting.

New Haven Police Chief Dean Esserman comforts the family of slaying victim Brian Gibson after a press conference announcing the arrest of Jahmal Fulcher.Peter Casolino — New Haven Register