Connecticut woman charged in connection with 1998 murder

Connecticut authorities have detained a woman in connection with the 1998 killing of 26-year-old Agnieska Ziemlewski – a woman who was fatally gunned down at the MDC Reservoir. 

Katherine Pires, a 50-year-old East Hartford native, was arrested on Sunday and charged with hindering prosecution and lying to police. She was arraigned in the Superior Court in Hartford and has a bail set at $25,000, the Hartford Courant reports. 

Little information was released about the allegations against Pires – who has her next court appearance scheduled for July 14 – but investigators have said that she has been interviewed over the years, with her statements proving to be inconsistent. 

Pires’ lawyer, Aaron Jainchill, said: ‘Katherine has nothing to do with the crimes she is accused of and nothing to do with the murder of Ms. Ziemlewski in 1998.’

He added: ‘Katherine has not been charged with murder nor conspiracy to commit murder and has never been accused of either crime by law enforcement.’ 

Ziemlewski was shot three times in the neck at close range while walking on a trail in 1998. Police have long maintained that the woman knew her killer but no one has been charged in connection to Ziemlewski’s death.

Ziemlewski was shot approximately 100ft from the gate at Old Mountain Road in Farmington. 

Farmington Lt. Tim McKenzie has stressed that the department has never stopped working on the case. The department recently worked with the FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit to review the case. ‘

Tremendous progress’ has since been made on the case, police said. 

Ziemlewski was shot three times in the neck at close range while walking on a trail in 1998. Police have long maintained that the woman knew her killer but no one has been charged in connection to Ziemlewski’s death

‘The Farmington Police Department will continue to utilize all available resources and continue working with its community partners,’ McKenzie said. ‘The Farmington Police Department will not rest until justice is achieved and closure is obtained for Agnes’ family.’

Ziemlewski lived in West Hartford, where she had been working at United Health at the time of her killing. A Polish immigrant, she graduated from Bulkeley High School in 1989 and from the University of Connecticut in 1994. 

Two years ago, police said that the woman had gone to the Stop and Shop in West Hartford before going to the reservoir on the day of her death. 

Two years ago, police said that the woman had gone to the Stop and Shop in West Hartford before going to the reservoir on the day of her death

Ziemlewski was described as being athletic by friends, who said that she practiced martial arts and would ski and Rollerblade in her spade time. Investigators also learned that she enjoyed going for runs in the reservoir. 

While on the trail, two joggers heard gunshots at around 5.24 on the day and went to the road to flag down help.      

The woman’s body was found not far from Red Reservoir Road. There were no witnesses at the time of the woman’s killing but authorities did search several cars that were near the scene. 

Approximately 300 people were interviewed in connection to the killing. 

There is a $50,000 reward for information that leads to the woman’s killer.