MANCHESTER, Conn. (AP) - A 21-year-old Manchester man is held on $2 million bail in connection with a January fire in which a woman’s body was found.
Steven Durdek Jr. was arrested Friday. He appeared Tuesday in Manchester Superior Court on charges of murder, felony murder, arson, burglary and evidence tampering in the Jan. 18 apartment fire where 56-year-old Sarah Kelloway was found dead.
The medical examiner’s office says Kelloway died from blunt force head trauma.
WFSB-TV (https://bit.ly/1cnH2KE) reports an arrest warrant says Durdek’s DNA was found at the scene and on the body, and police believe he sexually assaulted the victim. Police said he told a friend he lost control during the burglary of a stranger. Police said Durdek denied the allegations.
Kelloway’s family and friends attended Tuesday’s hearing. Two of Durdek’s friends tell WFSB they’re shocked by the allegations.
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Information from: WFSB-TV, https://www.wfsb.com
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