Arrests Made In 2 Hamden Cold Case Homicides: Police

HAMDEN, CT — More than five years after two men were shot and killed in separate Hamden homicides suspects have been charged in both cases, according to a Hamden Police news conference live streamed by WFSB.

Hamden police announced developments Friday in the killings of 22-year-old Kaymar Tanner in 2020 and 38-year-old Jonquay Morrison in 2021, crediting years of investigative work and cooperation between local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.

Kaymar Tanner

The first case dates to July 18, 2020, when Hamden police responded to a report of shots fired near Newbury Street and found Tanner suffering from gunshot wounds.

Tanner was pronounced dead, and the case was determined a homicide, according to police.

The investigation ultimately led to federal charges against 19-year-old Brian Backman in connection with Tanner's death.

Backman is among 16 members and associates of the New Haven-based Stand On Business, or SOB, street gang charged in a 19-count federal indictment returned in June as part of a long-running investigation into gang violence.

Federal prosecutors said Backman and others shot and killed Tanner after mistaking him for a member of the rival Exit 8 gang.

The broader indictment said SOB members and associates were involved in a series of violent acts dating back to 2019, including murders and attempted murders, as well as drug and firearms trafficking.

Backman is among 12 defendants charged with racketeering conspiracy. He also faces other federal charges stemming from gang activity.

Jonquay Morrison

The second case dates to June 6, 2021, when Hamden police responded to reports of shots fired near 20 Hamden Park Drive.

Officers found Morrison suffering from gunshot wounds. The 38-year-old later died from his injuries, according to authorities.

After an extensive investigation, police identified 47-year-old Curtis Cole, of Camden, New Jersey, as a suspect in Morrison's killing.

An arrest warrant was issued July 23 charging Cole with murder, and the case was turned over to the U.S. Marshals Connecticut Violent Fugitive Task Force for assistance locating him.

Cole was located in Camden and arrested without incident July 29, according to the U.S. Marshals Service.

He was charged with murder, illegal discharge of a firearm, criminal possession of a firearm, carrying a pistol without a permit and criminal possession of a pistol or revolver.

Following his arrest, Cole was taken to the Camden County Sheriff's Office and held pending extradition to Connecticut on a court-set $3 million bond, according to the U.S. Marshals Service.