UPDATE (Saturday, May 6, 2023): This story has been updated to include a statement from the children of James Knapp.

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DANBURY — Danbury State’s Attorney David R. Applegate announced yesterday that a jury in Danbury Superior Court on Tuesday found Patrick Arthur Griffin, 60, of New Fairfield, guilty of in the death of a Sandy Hook resident. The ruling came just shy of one year to the date of the murder of Sandy Hook resident James Knapp.

Griffin was found guilty on two charges of manslaughter in the first degree.

The Honorable Robin Pavia presided over the trial.

According to evidence introduced at trial, Griffin stabbed Knapp in the chest during an assault at the defendant’s home in New Fairfield.

According to Connecticut State Police reports, troopers were summoned along with New Fairfield officers to a New Fairfield residence on the evening of Saturday, May 7, 2022, for a reported active assault. Upon arrival, the report stated Knapp was found with a stab wound and transported to Danbury Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.

Griffin, the resident of the home where the incident occurred, was also transported to Danbury Hospital. He was later taken into custody by detectives from the Western District Major Crime unit. Griffin was taken to State Police Troop A and was charged with Manslaughter in the 1st Degree.

He pled not guilty.

Knapp, who was a Tech Ed educator at Pomperaug High School, was the father of Newtown Legislative Councilman Ryan Knapp. Along with his wife Gabriela, Knapp is survived by five children, two siblings, Gabriela’s daughters, his in-laws, and a large family that was said to number more than a hundred relations including aunts, uncles, and cousins spanning several generations.

The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Russell Zentner, with assistance from Paralegal Shanik Smith.

Sentencing is scheduled for July 10. The maximum penalty for conviction of a Class B felony in Connecticut is 20 years in jail and a fine of $15,000.

Griffin is also facing charges of criminal possession of a firearm/ammunition by a convicted felon, a Class C felony in this state. The weapon was reportedly found in his home while it was being searched following the Knapp homicide.

The next activity in that case is also scheduled for July 10.

Griffin was found guilty in 1999 of illegal operation of a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol/drugs and violation of probation following a September 21, 1996 incident.

Family Statement

Ryan Knapp reached out to The Newtown Bee Friday evening, sharing the following statement:

“On behalf of my siblings, we are grateful that the jury reached the verdict of guilty in the case of the tragic death of our father James Knapp. Having family present at every day of the trial, we were confident the State presented compelling evidence that contradicted Mr Griffin’s multitude of inconsistent stories. While the video evidence was difficult to watch, we feel any reasonable person would have come to the same conclusion; there was no justification for killing our father.

“We are grateful for the diligent work of the prosecuting attorney Russel Zentner who put in an incredible effort reviewing all the hours of video footage and building a winning case.

“We also want to thank Kristine Kellas from the Office of Victims Services and everyone at the non-profit Survivors of Homicide for all their support through this difficult and confusing process.

“That day our father had been attending a fundraiser for one of his former students, he was nicely dressed and stayed to help clean up afterwards. That afternoon our father told us that he was going to check on Mr Griffin, who was drinking alone and gambling on the horse race. In the Ring video footage presented, it was clear that our father went to the house to make sure Mr Griffin got home safely. The video showed our father helping Mr Griffin into his house, while Mr Griffin was falling over from being intoxicated. The last images of our father’s life, as captured on the Ring camera, were of him walking Mr Griffin’s dog.

“The hospital physician who examined the defendant testified that the defendant had no neck injuries that would be consistent with ‘stomping’ his neck. According to testimony Mr Griffin’s only complaint was of wrist pain related to the handcuffs.

“We believe the story presented by the defendant was frankly absurd. The idea that our father would suddenly ‘snap’ on Mr Griffin, a person he went to help, makes no sense. The thought that after sustaining the lethal stab wound while off balance, our father would be able to stand up, walk from the living room to the kitchen, pull the large knife out himself, bend over, jam it into the floor, stand back up, then move to where he ultimately fell backwards, is preposterous.

“The notion that there was any fight at all is predicated on Mr Griffin’s inconsistent accounts. Unfortunately, due to the actions of Mr Griffin, our father is no longer with us to tell his side of the story.

“Mr Griffin is a sad, desperate case and we feel pity for him, because he has to live with the guilt of killing one of the only people who cared enough to help him when he was struggling. This guilty verdict is a step towards justice, but it will never bring our father back; he won’t be there to enjoy his retirement, travel with his wife or see his grandchildren grow up.”

—Ryan Knapp, Heather Bednar, Erik Knapp and Bryanna Villante