The state’s forensic lab played a crucial role in tying two firearms to the Brown University shooting in Rhode Island earlier this month and the subsequent killing of a professor in Massachusetts.
“We were contacted by the Rhode Island Office of the Attorney General Office of the Rhode Island Attorney General and we responded immediately,” Dr. Guy Vallaro, director of the state Division of Scientific Services, said in a statement. “Our job is to independently and thoroughly analyze evidence when requested.”
“The forensic lab is committed to regional cooperation and assistance — we know neighboring states would help us with any investigation,” Vallaro said. “In this case, when asked, we offered whatever help we could provide to our New England neighbor.”
The shooting at Brown University on Dec. 13 came during final exams week when Cláudio Manuel Neves Valente, a Portuguese national and former student, allegedly killed two students and wounded nine others, according to authorities.
‘Cat and Mouse’ Encounter Led Police to Body of Suspect in Attack
Two days later, Valente is suspected of shooting his former classmate, Nuno Loureiro, at Loureiro’s home in Brookline, Massachusetts, authorities have said. Loureiro, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor, died from his injuries.
Valente was found inside a storage unit in New Hampshire on Dec. 18 following a multi-day manhunt. Investigators believe he died by suicide.
According to state officials, the Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory was crucial in connecting two guns found near Valente’s body to the shooting at Brown University and the murder of Loureiro.
Connecticut police K9s offer comfort at Brown University after shooting
“Working with state and federal law enforcement agencies, a team from the forensic lab in Meriden examined evidence from the Brown University shootings for DNA and latent prints associated with a suspect,” the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection said in a statement Tuesday. “They also used the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) to analyze shell casings from the crime scene.”
“Lab analysis provided the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and state investigators in Rhode Island with critical answers,” Connecticut officials said.
The two federal agencies closely involved in the investigation lauded the state’s forensic lab for its work.
“The FBI and ATF would like to offer their sincere gratitude and appreciation of the around-the-clock collaborative effort of the [Connecticut] Forensic Science Laboratory personnel,” the agencies said in a statement. “Their behind-the-scenes effort has allowed for the rapid scientific confirmation of the facts of this investigation.”
DESPP Commissioner Ronnell A. Higgins and Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz met with the forensic team from the state lab this week to thank them for their work.
“The work at our Forensic Science Laboratory reflects the very best of public service,” Bysiewicz said in a statement. “The dedicated staff and scientists worked tirelessly behind the scenes to support law enforcement efforts last week. We are so thankful for the critical work they do every day for the people of Connecticut and our neighbors across the region.”
“We are so grateful to see how the hard work at the lab assisted federal and state investigators,” Higgins said. “We know that this is the kind of independent and thorough analysis that they perform every day for the citizens of Connecticut.”
Connecticut, through DESPP and its forensic lab, has made rapid analysis of crime scene evidence a top priority, according to officials. A system of regional evidence kiosks across Connecticut, combined with more resources, has allowed for rapid testing of DNA, and ballistic crime scene evidence using NIBIN. The lab has been recognized as a national model for state forensic labs.
“I’m proud of what we do here and the fact that others rely on us and respect what we do here. It’s a good feeling,” said Vallaro.
