Milford ax murder suspect rejects plea deal, will go to trial in Julie Minogue killing
Ewen Dewitt rejected a plea deal from the Ansonia-Milford state attorney that would have landed him in prison for 45 years.
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An ax murder suspect, charged with killing the mother of his son while the 3-year-old boy and an older sibling were home, rejected an offer from the Milford/Ansonia state's attorney that would've seen him serve 45 years in prison. On Friday, Ewen Dewitt, 44, appeared in Milford Superior Court where he chose not to plead guilty to murder and risk of injury to a child and instead opted to go to trial. It came almost two years after the death of Julie Minogue, a Milford mother of three.
Minogue's father, Gerald, shook his head in disgust as one of Dewitt's attorneys relayed the decision to the judge. Attorney John Walkey told the court he and co-counsel met with Dewitt at Cheshire Correctional Institution twice since the offer was made.
"We talked to him again today to give him a little bit more time to even think about it, but I believe it's his decision today that he wants to reject that offer and put the matter on the trial list," Walkley said.
Dewitt's decision would've kept the criminal case from dragging on and spared Minogue's family the pain of a very public trial, especially given the graphic details of the case and Minogue's three sons. Dewitt's attorney previously said his client wanted to take a plea.
"I'm just very upset, very disappointed about what transpired today in the courtroom," Gerald Minogue told News 12 after court.
On Dec. 6, 2022, a security camera at Minogue's neighbor's captured Dewitt with an ax just before he stormed her condo at Salem Walk while her two younger sons were there, according to Dewitt's arrest warrant. The warrant said the 17-year-old heard his mother's screams, ran to try and help, then barricaded himself in his room as he called 911. When police arrested Dewitt later that night, he confessed to the crime, according to the warrant.
"For the life of me, I can't understand why it's rejected and why instead of dealing with this in a, well I'll call it a 'humane manner,' we're going to have to drag this up and go through a trial," Gerald Minogue said.
Gerald Minogue had wanted Dewitt to serve more time than what the state offered but had come to terms with the deal.
"It's not what I expected today, and I'm still processing how could this be happening," he told News 12. "Hopefully we'll arrive at some good conclusion at some point in the future."
With Dewitt's decision, State's Attorney Margaret Kelley pulled the offer from the table. The case will return to court on Dec. 2 when discussions will begin with the courthouse trial judge about scheduling jury selection. Dewitt will also have a new attorney from the public defender's office since Walkley is retiring.
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At the time of her death, Minogue had a protective order against Dewitt for a pending assault case from 2019. She'd also recently been granted a restraining order after Dewitt allegedly sent her 220 text messages, including threats. In filing for it, she wrote: "I am scared for the safety of my children and I. Ewen has got himself into a lot of trouble with drugs and alcohol and I'm scared he's going to kill me."
Minogue had brought her concerns to police just three weeks before her murder. The officer who handled her report submitted an arrest warrant for Dewitt to the state's attorney's office, but it was sent back seeking more information about the texts and then never resubmitted. Dewitt wasn't charged with harassment and violation of a protective order until after Minogue's murder.
The officer who initially took her complaint, Scott Knablin, was the focus of an internal investigation by the police department and resigned in July 2023.
In June, Gerald Minogue filed a lawsuit against the city of Milford and the police department on behalf his daughter's estate alleging negligence and carelessness in her death.
