Chester, CT: Man Charged In Estranged Wife's Death

Police Say 911 Call From Victim Went Dead

POSTED: 10:16 am EST February 26, 2010
UPDATED: 11:08 pm EST February 26, 2010
CHESTER, Conn. -- A man was arrested Thursday night in connection with the fatal stabbing of his estranged wife in Chester.
State police said troopers received a 911 call from a woman at a home on Bailey Road reporting that her husband was forcibly breaking into her home. The woman told police that she had a protective order against her husband. State police said the phone went dead and troopers were dispatched to the home.
Police said the woman, identified as Bonnie MacKay Belanger, 51, was found suffering from multiple stab wounds. She was taken to Middlesex Hospital, where she died, police said.
Police said MacKay's husband, identified as John Belanger, was found on Route 9 near exit 2. John Belanger was taken into police custody and taken to Shoreline Clinic for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries before being admitted to Yale New Haven Hospital, where he remained under state police guard Friday morning.
"They're really nice people, I don't understand why this happened," said neighbor Steven Merola, of Chester.
According to court documents, MacKay filed for divorce in December, and before that, she took out a protective order against Belanger. Records show Belanger violated that order in November.
State victim advocate Michelle Cruz said she wonders why the bond for violating the order in November was the same as the bond for the initial harassment incident in October.
"The message clearly sent was, 'No consequences because of violating protective order,'" she said.
Cruz said there should be more tools in place to help protect women who are trying to protect themselves, such as GPS monitoring.
"The system failed her," Cruz said of MacKay.
John Belanger was charged with murder in connection with his wife's death. His bond was set at $1 million and he is scheduled for arraignment when he is medically cleared.