Hartford police detectives used DNA, ballistics, social media, video surveillance and witness interviews to find and arrest two men allegedly involved in a homicide on Sigourney Street in April.
Police arrested Chris Olds, 27, of East Hartford in connection with the July 20 death of Michael Foley. Olds is charged with murder, first-degree assault and criminal possession of a firearm, police said. Police had previously arrested Corey Fairley, 23, of Hartford on May 30 for his alleged involvement in the homicide. According to police, he is charged with complicity to murder, complicity to assault in the first degree and criminal possession of a firearm.
The Courant obtained copies of the arrest warrant affidavits for Olds and Fairley, which detail the alleged crime and the steps detectives took to identify the suspects.
On April 15, police were called to 238 Sigourney St. for a reported shooting. They found Michael Foley, 25, of Hartford, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Foley was taken to Saint Francis Hospital where he was pronounced dead approximately 16 minutes later. An autopsy performed April 16 by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner confirmed the homicide and his cause of death as gunshot wounds to the head and torso, according to the warrant.
Foley was a landscaper who worked in the tree removal business and loved to fish and ride motorcycles, he said. his obituary.
[ Bronin says much of recent Hartford gun violence is targeted and part of a retaliatory cycle ]
A second victim, Bruce Young, 56, arrived at Saint Francis with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to his right foot.
Police found a .45-caliber firearm in Foley’s pants, a cell phone, four spent 9-millimeter shell casings and a substance suspected to be crack cocaine at the scene, according to the warrant. They were also advised that the suspect was wearing a red shirt and had fled the scene towards Collins Street.
Minutes after the shooting, police also received calls from the superintendent of a Huntington Street property and a concerned citizen with more information.
The property superintendent reported finding a black hoodie and a gray hoodie in the rear parking lot. A firearm was later found wrapped in the black sweatshirt, which had “Hilfiger” written across the front in white letters. Police later determined the sweatshirts belonged to the people involved in the shooting, according to the warrant.
The casings fired from the gun were compared to casings found at the scene, and detectives determined they were likely fired from the gun used in the homicide.
DNA samples taken from the gun were later found to be a probable match to Fairley and two unknown sources, according to the warrant. Police also took DNA samples from the gray sweatshirt and it was determined to be a possible match to Olds.
Private city and local cameras picked up Foley and Young walking toward Sigourney Street before the shooting. Then three men, one in a gray hoodie, a second in a black hoodie and a third in a light blue shirt, approach and talk to Foley and Young, according to the warrant. The five men finish their conversation and the three continue walking south on Sigourney.
Then the man in gray, later identified as Olds, and the man in black, later identified as Fairley, turn and walk toward Foley and Young and resume their conversation.
Olds then allegedly produced a firearm and shot Foley, according to the warrant. Foley falls to the floor and Young kicks away. Olds then hides behind a red Mitsubishi and allegedly shoots Foley again before fleeing with Fairley from the scene on Collins Street. The man wearing a light blue shirt pauses before walking away.
Police were able to identify the man in blue and interviewed him as a witness to the homicide. He confirmed he was there that day and knew Olds and Fairley through mutual associates, but told police he did not know their real names, according to the warrant.
The witness gave police access to his personal Facebook account and cellphone and showed police the Facebook profile of a man he knew as “Rondo,” whom he identified as the shooter. Detectives later used that profile to identify Olds through a search through a database of social media profiles.
Police also saw a video of the witness and the man in the black hoodie with “Hilfiger” across the chest posted hours before the homicide. Detectives immediately recognized the man and identified him as Fairley, according to the warrant.
The witness then identified Olds and Fairley as those involved in the shooting when presented with photos, according to the warrant.
Police obtained a warrant for Fairley’s DNA and collected it during a scheduled parole meeting on May 2. A possible match to DNA collected from the gun came on May 27, although Fairley claimed while being interviewed by police that he never touched the gun.
Fairley told detectives on May 2 that he had only met Olds once before the day of the shooting and did not know his real name. He said he and Olds had gone to Foley to buy cannabis the day of the shooting. He said he turned and heard gunshots and was shot in the leg, but did not seek medical attention.
He told detectives he fled the scene and Olds chased him, pointed a gun at him and ordered him to give him his black hoodie.
Fairley was presented with a photo lineup of eight men and did not identify Olds when shown his photograph. Instead, he identified a man unrelated to the investigation.
Police obtained an arrest warrant for Fairley after the DNA match and arrested him on May 30 in Enfield. For a second
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the photo lineup, identified Olds and said he was 100 percent sure, the warrant said. He told police he knew Olds and had been associated with him for a year.
Fairley told detectives that Olds informed her that Foley, who she reportedly had problems with while they were in jail together, was on Sigourney Street. He said Olds said he would “take care of it” that day, April 15.
The three drove to the back of the Sigourney Mews apartments and walked toward the victim, Fairley told detectives.
Fairley then told police the three greeted Foley and Young and continued south on Sigourney before he and Olds returned with the victims so Olds could “handle it.” He said Foley “reached out” and Olds pulled out a firearm and shot him, according to the warrant.
The two then ran south to the rear of the Huntington Street building, where Olds handed Fairley the firearm and Fairley gave Olds his black sweatshirt to clean the gun.
Fairley’s attorney, Michael Dwyer, declined to comment for this story. Olds is being represented by a public defender ahead of his Aug. 3 arraignment, but they had not yet been assigned as of Wednesday morning.
Mike Mavredakis can be reached at mmavredakis@courant.com.
