Crime & Safety
Sandy Hook Father Found Dead
The police report states that 'the death appears to be suicide.'
NEWTOWN, CT — The father of a Sandy Hook victim was found dead at Edmond Town Hall in Newtown on Monday morning.
Officials have identified the deceased as Jeremy Richman, Ph.D. , 49, of Newtown. He was the father of Avielle Richman, a victim in the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, and co-founder of the Avielle Foundation.
Police and paramedics found the body in the stage area around 7 a.m. The Avielle Foundation has offices in the town hall building.
Find out what's happening in Newtownfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The police report stated that "the death appears to be suicide," and that was confirmed by the state medical examiner on Wednesday. The death does not appear to be suspicious, the report noted.
Richman's body was transported to the Connecticut State Medical Examiner's office for an autopsy that is expected to be done today, as per normal protocol.
Find out what's happening in Newtownfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
My god. This is awful, horrible, devastating news. Jeremy was a good friend and an unceasing advocate for better research into the brain’s violence triggers. He was with me in my office two weeks ago, excited as could be about the Avielle Foundation’s latest amazing work. https://t.co/xhy89JlXG8
— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) March 25, 2019
Annie and I are heartbroken for the Richman family. Thoughts and prayers just don't feel like enough in times like these. Words cannot even begin to express our sorrow.
— Gov. Ned Lamont (@GovNedLamont) March 25, 2019
In addition to being CEO of the Avielle Foundation, Richman had a faculty lecturer appointment in the Department of Psychiatry at Yale’s School of Medicine. He was a neuropharmacologist with more than 20 years of research and drug discovery experience, according to the website of the Avielle Foundation. The site states the goal of the Foundation, founded by Richman and his wife, Jennifer Hensel, as "preventing violence and building compassion through brain health research, community engagement, and education."
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