Middletown Double Murder Case To Be Featured On Crime Documentary

MIDDLETOWN, CT — A Middletown double murder case that was solved with the help of an answering machine recording will be featured on crime documentary series "Diabolical" on Investigation Discovery. The episode “Recording Evil” airs 9 p.m. Tuesday.

A jury found that Patricia Lynn Steller and her nephew Ronald King were killed in 1993 by Janet Griffin with help from Griffin’s coworker Gordon "Butch" Fruean Jr.

Griffin, 72, is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole at York Correctional Institution after being convicted in 1996, according to prison records. She appealed her case to the state Supreme Court, but her conviction was upheld.

Fruean was found guilty by a jury of first-degree manslaughter and was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Griffin was in two-year romantic relationship with Gina Coccia that ended in 1992, according to a summary of the case from state Supreme Court.

Coccia began a relationship with Steller in 1993 and moved to Connecticut the same year. Griffin, who had been roommates with Coccia became upset at the news and said she wanted to resume a romantic relationship with Coccia. She eventually agreed to be friends, but was jealous of the new relationship.

Griffin had told another friend that she had planned to kill Steller. Her friend had driven her to Connecticut several times, according to the Supreme Court summary. On the last trip her friend refused to drive her down.

Griffin and Fruean rented a car and drove to Connecticut. They entered Steller’s house through a dog door and waited for Steller and King to return from work. Griffin shot Steller and King as they entered the kitchen. At some point the telephone answering machine was activated and recorded part of the incident.

Griffin realized that Steller and King were still alive after she ran out of bullets and asked Fruean to hand her a knife from the kitchen, according to the court summary. She stabbed both victims with different knives several times and bashed them both over the head with objects. During the incident Griffin’s blood was left on King’s clothing, inside the home and in a rental car.

Coccia returned home from work around 5:30 p.m. and found both victims dead.