Man rushes into a church, confesses to murder

Man rushes into a church, confesses to murder

By EMMA GRIFFIN

Staff Writer

In November 2014, police discovered the body of Melissa Millan on a bike trail in Connecticut, apparently having been stabbed. Six months later, the police claimed they had no suspects and no leads.

The case appeared to hit a dead end, until September 19, 2018, when 27-year-old William Leverett, a registered sex offender, burst through the doors of Open Gate Ministries of Windsor Locks in Connecticut and confessed to killing the mother of two.

Pastor Michael Trazinski, amongst other church members, escorted Leverett to the Simsbury Police Department where he willingly confessed to his crime, as well as led them to a bloody glove that proved his guilt.

He told police that he had “[gone] into a frenzy” when he saw Millan jogging on the very bike trail her body had been found on. Leverett confessed to police that he had been on the trail after a treatment meeting for sex offenders earlier that night, allegedly “searching for human contact”, when he discovered Millan.

According to what he had told police, that if he committed a murder, he would not have to explain why he had sexually assaulted a child while he was living in Colorado.

Leverett claimed he grew progressively angry at the realization that he “[could not] have her”, as she was “way out of [his] league”.

Leverett confronted Millan on the trail at around 8 p.m. in an unlit area, and proceeded into his self-proclaimed “frenzy”.

He told police he stabbed the mother of two once in the chest, and when she pushed him away he accidentally pulled the knife out. She then proceeded to fall back, over a guardrail, onto the roadway below.

Leverett claimed he heard Millan say, “oh my God, oh my God, oh my God,” before finally going silent. Leverett ultimately destroyed the knife in a trash compactor at work a few days later.

Mugshot of William Leverett who burst into a church, confessing to cold case

Source: News Talk 1240 Blair County’s Local News Authority

He stated that he wrote his friends and family members each confession letters, but ultimately never sent them and turned them over to police.

Simsbury police released information of Leverett’s arrest on Monday, Sept. 24, 2018. It is noted that he is scheduled to be back in court on Oct. 9, 2018.

Colette Trazinski, who is a co-pastor at the church, simply stated, “We never would have expected this.”