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Norwalk Police Cold Case Unit Hunt Clues In 1994 Homicide

NORWALK, Conn. -- On the morning of Sunday, Dec. 4, 1994, Norwalk Police Officer Joe Jensen was investigating a car accident when a person walked up to him and said there was a dead body on the ground behind Building 9 at Carlton Court.

Michael Buzzetto, 18, was found dead in 1994 after being beaten with a piece of concrete. Police are looking for clues in his death.

Michael Buzzetto, 18, was found dead in 1994 after being beaten with a piece of concrete. Police are looking for clues in his death.

Photo Credit: Norwalk Police Department/Facebook
Michae Buzzetto of Stamford was found dead in 1994 beside a building on Carlton Court.

Michae Buzzetto of Stamford was found dead in 1994 beside a building on Carlton Court.

Photo Credit: Norwalk Police Department/Facebook

Jensen and Officer Robert Kruse responded to the address and found Michael Buzzetto, 18, of Stamford, dead on the ground. Paramedics arrived and determined that he had been dead between three and five hours. 

The Detective Bureau assumed the investigation and found that Buzzetto had been bludgeoned to death with a chunk of concrete. Other items were also collected at the crime scene. 

During the course of the investigation, a combination of eight or nine suspects was derived from interviews and anonymous sources. Much of the information pointed to Buzzetto being in the area of Carlton Court to purchase narcotics and a group of two or three males who were high on angel dust got into an argument with Buzzetto and assaulted him with the chunk of concrete. 

The suspects were interviewed, and several declined polygraph examinations. Probable cause for an arrest was not developed, and the case remained unsolved.

 In 2014, Norwalk police Sgt. Alex Tolnay of the Crime Scene/Identification Unit assumed the Buzzetto homicide investigation as part of the cold case unit. A review of the case and evidence determined that evidence existed for DNA testing due to the nature of the homicide. 

Tolnay also found that of eight suspects, all eight were not incarcerated at the time of the Buzzetto homicide and that five of the eight were in the Connecticut CODIS database for felony DNA swabs. 

In January 2015, four items were sent to the Connecticut Forensic Laboratory for examination for DNA profiles. One item yielded DNA profiles that were a mixture but excluded Buzzetto as a contributor. One profile was entered into the database with no match at this time. There is the possibility that one of the three suspects without a DNA sample in the system could match the suspect profile. 

Further information is necessary to develop probable cause for a suspect search warrant to collect a DNA sample from the remaining suspect. 

Anyone with information is asked to contact Tolnay 203-854-3046 or at atolnay@norwalkct.org.

Anonymous internet tips can be sent through the Norwalk police website at www.norwalkpd.com. Anonymous text tips can be submitted by typing “NPD” into the text field, followed by the message and sending it to CRIMES (274637).

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