25-Year-Old Cold Case Not Forgotten By Farmington PD

FARMINGTON/WEST HARTFORD/HARTFORD, CT — On Sept. 24, 1998, West Hartford resident Agnieszka "Agnes" Ziemlewski, 26, just wanted to enjoy a fall hike at the MDC reservoir area in Farmington.

It was something she did regularly. But on this tragic day, she would not return home.

Ziemlewski was shot three times at close range and killed. Her killer has never been found and her murder is among the coldest of Connecticut's cold cases.

Monday, the Farmington Police Department reiterated it is not giving up and they are still hot on the trail of the killer, even if the case is a cold one.

Sunday was the 25th anniversary of this grim incident in Farmington and West Hartford history and a $50,000 reward by the State of Connecticut has never been collected for information leading to the capture of Ziemlewski's killer.

While some also referred to Ziemlewski as "Nikki," the FPD simply refers to her case as being a driving force in their daily duties serving the community. She would be 51 today had she lived.

"What is unfathomable is that Agnes was 26 when she was taken from us. We have spent Agnes’s lifetime searching for answers to her death," the FPD wrote Monday.

And, if necessary, the FPD will spend 25 more years — or as long as it takes — going after the killer.

According to police, Ziemlewski parked her car in the lower dirt parking lot at the Farmington site at about 5:10 p.m.

Police said they believe she was shot three times at about 5:25 p.m. "not far" from the trail gate at Old Mountain Road in Farmington.

What's more than frustrating for police, they said, is that they believe her killer may still be in the area after all these years.

"This was not a random act. We believe the person who did this remains in our community," wrote police in a statement Monday.

According to the State of Connecticut's Cold Case Files, the victim emigrated with her family from Poland in the early 1980s.

After growing up in an apartment in Hartford with her parents and two sisters, Ziemlewski, a 1989 graduate of Bulkeley High School, moved into an apartment of her own in West Hartford after graduating at the University of Connecticut.

At the time of her death, she was working at United Health Care in Hartford, according to the state's Cold Case Files.

According to the state, her father died a year later in 1999, never knowing what happened to his daughter.

In addition to commemorating 25 years since the senseless killing, Monday's announcement by the FPD served to remind the community they are not giving up. Period.

"Five years ago, we told you we would not give up on this case. We have not given up," police said.

"In these last few years, we have begun to learn what happened on September 24, 1998. We have been talking with those who knew Agnes and those who we believe have information on what happened."

Despite the passage of time, police said they're still welcoming any and all information anyone may have about what happened and "it is not too late to come forward."

"Even if we have already spoken with you, if you have been hesitant to say something because of any fear or worry, please be brave," wrote the FPD. "Share the truth."

While no arrest was made for Ziemlewski's murder, in 2020, Farmington police charged an East Hartford woman with second-degree hindering prosecution and interfering with police regarding their probe.Z

Family and friends have set up a Facebook page in Ziemlewski's honor, promising to never forget her or what happened that terrible day in 1998.

Anyone who might have information is asked to call the Farmington Police Tipline at 860-675-2463 or send an email to justice4agnes@farmington-ct.org.

From June 29, 2020: 'Hindering Charge Filed in 1998 Farmington Murder Case'

For more information from the Connecticut Cold Case Files, click on this link.