Cold Case Killer From Hartford Sentenced In 2010 Murder Of Farmington Man: State

HARTFORD/FARMINGTON, CT — A Hartford man has been sentenced to 45 years in prison for the 2010 kidnapping and fatal shooting of a Farmington business owner in a case solved years later through DNA evidence.

Connecticut Chief State's Attorney Patrick J. Griffin announced last week that Superior Court Judge Michael J. Gustafson sentenced Shawn Milner, 35, of Hartford, on June 8 to serve 45 years in prison for the killing of Waqas "Victor" Rehman, 42, of Farmington.

The sentencing was announced publicly on Thursday, July 2.

A Hartford Superior Court jury found Milner guilty on Jan. 29 of two counts of felony murder and one count of first-degree kidnapping.

According to prosecutors, Rehman was abducted from the sidewalk outside his business, The Smoker's Stop on Barbour Street in Hartford on Dec. 1, 2010.

While officers were responding to reports of the abduction, police received a separate report of gunfire on nearby Nelson Street.

Responding officers found Rehman suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.

He was transported to a hospital, where he later died.

The case remained unsolved until a joint investigation by the Cold Case Unit of the Office of the Chief State's Attorney, the Hartford Police Department, and the Hartford Judicial District State's Attorney's Office identified Milner as a suspect through DNA testing.

Prosecutors said evidence presented at trial showed Milner's DNA was found inside Rehman's vehicle and on the victim's clothing.

In announcing the sentence, the Office of the Chief State's Attorney said the Cold Case Unit extends its condolences to Rehman's family and hopes the conviction and sentence "bring them some solace."

For more information on the case, click on this link.