WATERBURY, CT — A 36-year-old Waterbury man has been charged with first-degree manslaughter in connection with a death that occurred at the Brass Mill Center Mall last November.
David Morkis was identified as the suspect in the death of Paul Barillaro, 57, also of Waterbury, according to a statement released by the Waterbury Police Department on April 10.
The Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled Barillaro’s death a homicide on March 21.
Police said their investigation determined that Morkis and Barillaro knew each other and had been involved in a physical altercation that led to Barillaro’s death.
An arrest warrant was obtained on April 8 charging Morkis with first-degree manslaughter.
Morkis is currently in the custody of the Connecticut Department of Correction on unrelated charges and is scheduled for court arraignment today on the new homicide-related charge.
The investigation began on November 23, 2024, when officers responded to 495 Union Street at approximately 2:25 p.m. after receiving a report of a deceased adult male.
The body was found in a secluded outdoor area near the parking lot of the mall.
The case was initially investigated as an untimely death before the medical examiner’s ruling in March.
