Tragic Case of Domestic Violence in Waterbury
A man has been arrested for the murders of his parents in Waterbury, Connecticut. Javian Adams, 25, was identified as the suspect by local police. He is currently held on a $5 million bond and appeared before a judge on Wednesday.
Carlene Williams, 51, and Marc Adams, 55, were confirmed as the victims by authorities. Both had been shot. During court proceedings, the state alleged that Adams executed his parents in their own home. According to the charges, he shot his mother twice and his father once in the back of the head before fleeing the scene.
Police have described this incident as an extreme case of domestic violence. Chief Fernando Spagnolo of the Waterbury Police Department stated, “This is a very tragic incident and it revolves around domestic violence.”
In response to the incident, Waterbury police plan to meet with Safe Haven and other domestic violence advocacy groups next week. The goal is to help the community better understand how to identify and prevent domestic violence.
“We are extremely busy here at Safe Haven normally during the year. It’s just gotten busier and busier. So, you know, we’re trying to mitigate some of that. What else can we be doing? We do a lot of community education. We do a lot of outreach in the community,” said Dr. Amanda Nardozzi, executive director of Safe Haven.
Javian Adams faces multiple charges, including murder with special circumstances, murder commission of a felony, criminal use of a weapon, carrying a pistol without a permit, first-degree reckless endangerment, larceny of a motor vehicle, and criminal possession of a firearm.
According to the state, the family had been arguing about finances before the shooting. Video footage shows Adams being accused of taking money from the household. A neighbor who spoke with Eyewitness News mentioned seeing a man and a woman yelling and arguing on the front lawn Monday, hours before the shooting.
Dr. Nardozzi emphasized the importance of checking in with family members or friends. “Check in with that family member, check in with that friend. When it comes to this level, definitely maybe there were some flags that were missed by other family members or by neighbors.”
Adams denies murdering his parents. His defense attorney stated, “He completely contests these charges. He maintains his innocence, and right now he does have the presumption of innocence. I don’t believe a firearm was found on his person. I don’t believe a firearm has been located. We’re looking into certain defenses. I believe there are some viable defenses.”
Adams has a long history of violent behavior. Court records show that outside of the charges related to his parents’ murders, he has six pending cases in Waterbury court as well as two prior convictions. All of these cases involve his immediate family or others he had a relationship with.
In January of this year, Adams was arrested on charges including third-degree assault, second-degree strangulation/suffocation, and risk of injury to a minor. In July 2024, he was sentenced on different charges of third-degree assault, strangulation or suffocation, and second-degree breach of peace for a 2023 incident. He was also arrested in June 2024 for interfering with an officer.
Despite multiple arrests and charges, Adams did not serve jail time due to suspended sentences and probation. However, he was discharged from a domestic violence counseling program for failing to attend and was later found in violation of probation in October 2024.
On October 6, officers responded to a report of a shooting at 176 Beverly Ave. Police tape blocked off the dead-end road well into Tuesday morning. Neighbors were shocked when they learned of the incident while taking their children to school.
“There’s a lot of families with kids in this area,” said Clautia Vital, a neighbor. “Like I said, it’s a very quiet neighborhood. I never thought it was going to happen or things like that. It surprised me. I got scared, I’m in shock. I still can’t believe it.”
Neighbors reported that police went door to door late Monday night to ask for security camera footage. Joe Conway, a neighbor, shared, “We didn’t know nothing until a policeman showed up on our doorstep and asked if we knew anything or heard anything. My wife said ‘no, I haven’t heard a sound.’”
Eyewitness News spoke with neighbors along Beverly Avenue who said they did not hear any gunshots. Maurice Goodman of Waterbury remarked, “I really wasn’t expecting anything like that to be over here. Even when the person called me I was like ‘nah, you got the wrong, that’s the wrong street.’ And then I come out here and I see the police and go ‘oh, maybe he was right.’”
Waterbury police confirmed that the man arrested in Watertown was Javian Adams. This led to concerns among residents. Raydell Battle of Waterbury said, “It’s very concerning to know that, that happened and I mean, what’s the result here? It’s scary.”
Watertown police searched Lake Winnemaug for Adams’ belongings and the white Ford Escape he was driving. The vehicle was eventually found in a park in Middlebury. It had been stolen from Watertown. Middlebury police noted that Adams was wearing a pair of rain boots that may have been stolen from a residence in the area.
Watertown police asked neighbors to be on the lookout for any evidence and to check video surveillance between 5 p.m. Monday and 7 a.m. Tuesday. Peter Graziano of Watertown expressed surprise, saying, “It’s terrible. That doesn’t happen around here. It’s a nice neighborhood people are friendly. It’s crazy he just showed up over here.”
The investigation remains active and ongoing. Updates will be provided through Eyewitness News.
