Lorne J. Acquin

Lorne J. Acquin
Born	Lorne Joe Acquin (1950-04-21) April 21, 1950
Criminal penalty	105 years in prison
Killings
Date	July 22, 1977 2:30 a.m. - 3:30 a.m.
Location(s)	Prospect, Connecticut
Target(s)	Foster brother's family
Killed	9
Weapons	Tire iron Lug wrench Knife

Lorne J. Acquin (born March 21, 1950) is an American mass murderer who killed his foster brother's wife, her seven children, and their niece in their home at Cedar Hill Drive in Prospect, Connecticut on July 22, 1977 by beating them to death with a tire iron. He afterward set fire to the building and escaped, but was arrested the following day and sentenced to 105 years in prison two years later.

It was the largest mass murder in Connecticut history until the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.

Murders

On Friday, July 22, 1977 Lorne J. Acquin came to the home of his foster brother Fred Beaudoin, who was at work at that time, and killed the latter's wife Cheryl, their seven children, and a niece of theirs by bludgeoning them to death with a tire iron. He afterward spread petrol around the house, set it on fire and escaped.

The charred body of Cheryl Beaudoin was later found on the kitchen floor, while the bodies of three children were found in one bedroom, and two more children in another. One further child was found dead in the master bedroom and two more bodies were found in the bathroom. Several of the children, as well as Cheryl Beaudoin, had their hands tied behind their backs. Two of the other children's feet were tied together. All of the children appeared to have head wounds.

Within 24 hours, police interviewed more than a hundred witnesses, including Fred Beaudoin and Lorne J. Acquin. The following Sunday night, Acquin agreed to make a statement to police in which he admitted to attacking his sister-in-law and the children. Later that day, he was charged with nine counts of murder and one count of arson.

Victims

• Cheryl Beaudoin, 29
• Frederick Beaudoin, 12
• Sharon Lee Beaudoin, 10
• Debra Ann Beaudoin, 9
• Paul Beaudoin, 8
• Roderick Beaudoin, 6
• Holly Lyn Beaudoin, 5
• Mary Lou Beaudoin, 4
• Jennifer Santoro, 6

Trial and conviction

Acquin went to trial on July 16, 1979. He was sentenced to 25 years to life on each murder conviction and 20 years for arson. He is serving his sentence in MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution.

Bibliography

• Lane, Brian & Gregg, Wilfred: The Encyclopedia of Mass Murder – A Chilling Collection of Mass Murder Cases; Carroll & Graf Publishers, New York, United States, 2004. ISBN 978-0786713561
• Richards, Cara Elizabeth: The Loss of Innocents: Child Killers and Their Victims; Rowman & Littlefield, 2000. ISBN 9780842026031

External links

• Mother, 7 Children and a Niece Found Slain in Connecticut Fire, The New York Times (July 23, 1977)
• Ex-convict charged in 9 slayings in fire, The New York Times (July 24, 1977)
• Arson charge added to 9 murder counts, The New York Times (July 25, 1977)
• Suspect arraigned in fire-murder case, The New York Times (July 26, 1977)
• Grand Jury on the Line, The New York Times (August 28, 1977)
• Suspect in murder of 9 indicted in Waterbury, The New York Times (September 8, 1977)
• The Region, The New York Times (June 2, 1979)
• Confession Released as Trial Starts In Worst Connecticut Mass Slaying, The New York Times (July 17, 1979)
• The Region, The New York Times (July 28, 1979)
• Defense opens case in slaying of nine, The New York Times (October 7, 1979)
• Roofer Is Guilty In Mass Murders Near Waterbury, The New York Times (October 20, 1979)
• Man Convicted of Mass Murder Gets 105 Years in Connecticut, The New York Times (December 1, 1979)
• Man charged in mass killing, Spokane Daily Chronicle (July 24, 1977)
• Family killing suspect stands silent in court, Spokane Daily Chronicle (July 25, 1977)
• Mother, children rites conducted, Spokane Daily Chronicle (July 27, 1977)
• Man held in fiery deaths, The Prescott Courier (July 24, 1977)
• Will Acquin go free?, The Evening Independent (July 26, 1977)
• Foster brother-in-law charged with murders, The Bryan Times (July 23, 1977)
• Arraign man in death of woman, 8 youngsters, Ludington Daily News (July 23, 1977)
• It was a day of murder, St. Petersburg Times (July 23, 1977)
• Fire kills mom, eight kids; some of them were tied up, St. Petersburg Times (July 23, 1977)
• Suspect arrested in murder of his foster brother's family, St. Petersburg Times (July 24, 1977)
• Suspect tells police of killings, paper says, St. Petersburg Times (July 25, 1977)
• Slain family is buried, St. Petersburg Times (July 28, 1977)
• Mass murderer gets 105 years to life in prison, St. Petersburg Times (December 1, 1979)
• Foster brother accused of 9 murders, The Spokesman-Review (July 24, 1977)
• Parolee charged with murders of woman, eight children, Ocala Star-Banner (July 24, 1977)
• Acquin has loophole, lawyer says, Ocala Star-Banner (July 26, 1977)
• Murder - House fire kills wife, 8 children, The Ledger (July 23, 1977)
• End of a promising marriage, The Ledger (July 24, 1977)
• Jury mulls fate of suspect in mass murder case, The Ledger (October 19, 1979)
• Connecticut jury convicts surspect in mass murder case, The Ledger (October 20, 1979)
• Worker gets 105 years for murders, The Ledger (December 1, 1979)
• Mass murders alleged work of foster brother, The Victoria Advocate (July 24, 1977)
• "Uncle Lorne" faces charges in murders of 9, Boca Raton News (July 25, 1977)
• Nine in family slain, foster brother held, The Virgin Islands Daily News (July 25, 1977)
• Confession reported, The Milwaukee Sentinel (July 25, 1977)
• Slaying verdict: guilty, The Milwaukee Sentinel (October 20, 1979)
• Motive remains unclear, The Victoria Advocate (July 25, 1977)
• Lawyer says state police misbehaved, Kingman Daily Miner (July 25, 1977)
• Services held for slain family, Eugene Register-Guard (July 27, 1977)
• Jurors convict Acquin of mass murder, arson, Eugene Register-Guard (October 20, 1979)
• Mass said for Connecticut murder victims, Boca Raton News (July 28, 1977)
• Murder charges may be dropped, Boca Raton News (August 3, 1977)
• Victims of mass murder are buried, Ellensburg Daily Record (July 28, 1977)
• Man accused of 9 murders had trouble trusting others, Ellensburg Daily Record (August 1, 1977)
• Murder suspect could go free, Ellensburg Daily Record (August 3, 1977)
• Kill conviction spurs appeal, Spokane Daily Chronicle (October 20, 1979)
• Court sentences slayer of nine, Toledo Blade (December 1, 1979)
• Killer of nine persons sentenced to 125 years in Connecticut prison, Eugene Register-Guard (December 1, 1979)