Jury Reaches a Verdict in Milford Murder Trial

The jury in its third day of deliberations decided the fate of Matthew Pugh, 42, of Hamden, and found him guilty of murdering Alexandra Ducsay, 26 of Milford in her house in 2006.

The jury began deliberations Thursday afternoon and spent all day Friday deliberating and having specific testimony replayed for them.

The jury reconvened Monday morning and around 3 p.m. issued a verdict of guilty against Pugh, reports Phyllis Swebilius of the New Haven Register and the Connecticut Post.

Pugh was also found guilty of first-degree burglary. A Superior Court Judge increased Pugh’s bond from $3 million to $4 million, reports Swebilius. Sentencing is scheduled for 2 p.m. May 11.

During closing arguments heard on Thursday the prosecutor said the circumstantial evidence is overwhelming to convict Pugh, while his attorney argued there is no physical evidence placing him at the scene of the crime, Swebilius reports.

On Wednesday, Pugh took the stand in his own defense.

Here are the highlights of Pugh’s testimony via the New Haven Register:

Pugh said he didn’t see Ducsay on the day of her murder.

He denied harming her.

Pugh testified for two hours.

On the day of Ducsay’s murder, Pugh was running errands in Milford and Stratford.

Pugh was a convicted drug-dealer and Ducsay broke up with him while he was in prison.

Pugh said he was involved with several women and Ducsay knew that.

On Tuesday, Pugh’s attorney lost his bid to have the case dismissed.

During the trial, Ducsay’s mother and brother both testified that Alexandra was in fear of Pugh after their breakup, according to reports.

Cell phone records placed Pugh in Milford on the day of the murder, and a Pugh relative testified that he discussed killing Ducsay, the Post reports.

Pugh said he wanted to kill Ducsay and make it look like an overdose, the Register reported.

The judge decided to let the case be decided by a jury. Lawlor concluded the state’s evidence presentation, which included 30 witnesses.

Ducsay was a model and aspiring actress, who appeared once on the popular and long-running ‘Law and Order’ television series.

She graduated magna cum laude from Albertus Magnus, spent her free-time helping others, and ran a charity called Xandra’s Kids, which brought holiday gifts to needy schoolchildren.

The crime scene

A Milford police detective testified earlier this week that the crime scene was “probably the worst that I’ve ever seen,” reports the New Haven Register. When police arrived they found blood splatter on the radiator, on the wall, floor and even the ceiling, the Connecticut Post reports.

How did Ducsay and Pugh meet?

Duscay and Pugh met in a local bookstore and Alexandra was only 16 or 17 at the time her mother testified, while Pugh was much older.

Her mother, Linda, testified that her daughter was immediately ‘infatuated’ with Pugh and that he manipulated her during the whole relationship, the Post and Register report.

On one instance, Pugh stood Alexandra up for Jonathan Law High School’s Junior Class Prom, and Alexandra spent the whole night sitting at home in her dress waiting for Pugh, Linda testified.

Linda Ducsay testified that she “didn’t like him” concerning Pugh.

At one point Pugh was imprisoned for a narcotics violation. At first Alexandra visited him in prison, but over time she began to move away from Pugh finally, her family testified.

At one point, Pugh called the Ducsay household and Linda picked up and told him to leave her daughter alone, and Pugh allegedly shot back, “be careful what you say and do.”

Pugh already reportedly threatened Alexandra’s brother when he too told him that his sister was moving on.

A month before Alexandra’s murder, she told her brother that she was afraid of what Pugh might do to her, he testified.

Ducsay died from blunt force trauma and the suspected murder weapon is one of Alexndra’s trophies that went missing on the day of the murder, the Post reports.

Pugh was arrested and charged with the homicide back in 2012 and is being held on $2 million bond.

Read the full Connecticut Post story here.

Read the full New Haven Register story here.