Full Text:

Police Say Suspect List Is Growing In Trudeau Shooting

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BY ANDREW GOROSKO

Town and state police are continuing their investigation into a January 2

drive-by shooting in which local businessman William Trudeau, Jr, received a

gunshot wound to his lower left leg.

It was dark at about 5:40 pm when Mr Trudeau, 34, was in the parking lot of

Trudeau Service Center, his automobile repair business at 49 South Main

Street. Several large-caliber bullets were fired toward the business from an

automobile traveling northbound on South Main Street, police said.

Police believe the shooting stems from one of Mr Trudeau's business

relationships.

Police Chief James E. Lysaght, Jr, said an employee of the business was struck

by flying glass when a bullet shattered the front window. The unidentified

employee did not require hospitalization, the chief said.

Several customers and employees were at the business at the time of the

incident.

Two vehicles in the parking lot were damaged by gunfire. Also, bullets hit a

sign and a garbage can on a porch, police said.

Police recovered bullets and bullet fragments for laboratory analysis, said

police spokesman Detective Robert Tvardzik.

Attorney Edward Lerner, Mr Trudeau's lawyer and spokesman, said Tuesday Mr

Trudeau was at home resting after having been discharged from Danbury Hospital

where he had been taken, treated, and admitted for the gunshot wound. "He'll

be fine," Mr Lerner said.

"There's several possibilities for suspects," said Det Tvardzik, noting that

police have been interviewing people in connection with the incident.

Police were investigating at the crime scene for about 12 hours. Until about 2

am on January 3, the section of South Main Street between Mile Hill Road and

Borough Lane was closed to traffic to let the investigation proceed.

Police declined to provide many specifics about the incident, saying they do

not want to compromise their investigation of the case.

Many police man-hours are being spent on the case, Chief Lysaght said.

State police have been working to develop a comprehensive list of possible

assailants, he said, noting, "The number of possible suspects is growing."

Police were investigating property liens which have been placed on Mr

Trudeau's holdings to gain a sense of who might have a motive to harm him.

Numerous liens have been filed on Mr Trudeau's property in the past several

years as creditors sought to put claims on his property as security for the

payment of Mr Trudeau's many debts.

Mr Trudeau has been enmeshed in financial problems during the past several

years, including the dissolution of Trudeau Service Center, Inc, by US

Bankruptcy Court and the filing of a personal bankruptcy action.

"The investigation is being aggressively pursued. No stone will be left

unturned," Chief Lysaght said.

Chief Lysaght asked that anyone with information about the shooting incident

contact police at the police station, telephone 426-5841.

Police want to close the case as soon as possible, he said.

A Complaint To Police

On May 27, 1997, Mr Trudeau filed a formal complaint with Newtown police

stating he had been punched several times by someone in Newtown.

Police submitted an arrest warrant application to the local prosecutor, but an

arrest warrant was not issued, according to police records.

Mr Lerner said Tuesday that when Mr Trudeau was assaulted last May, the

unidentified assailant threatened to kill Mr Trudeau or have him killed by

someone if the assailant did not receive money from Mr Trudeau. Mr Lerner

declined to identify the person who threatened his client.

According to Mr Lerner, the person who threatened Mr Trudeau has a reputation

as someone who would use violence. The attorney said this person had a

business relationship with Mr Trudeau and is someone who might think he is

owed money.

Mr Lerner said the person had recently threatened Mr Trudeau again via a

telephone call.

After the police's application for an arrest warrant against the threatening

person was turned down last year, the police should have gone back and talked

to the prosecutor again to get a warrant, or should have gone to the chief

state's attorney in seeking a warrant, according to Mr Lerner.

"There are two brands of justice in Newtown -- one for Mr Trudeau and one for

everyone else," Mr Lerner said, asserting that Mr Trudeau gets less

consideration from town police than other people do.

Mr Lerner also asserted that Mr Trudeau gets less consideration from the

regional prosecutor than the general public.

Mr Lerner said Mr Trudeau has never been convicted of a crime, but

acknowledged he has had some motor vehicle violations.

Mr Trudeau has been involved in a variety of legal cases with town, state and

federal agencies regarding failure to pay taxes, motor vehicle costs and

various other bills. His employees have filed complaints over his failure to

pay wages. Customers have lodged complaints alleging he overcharges for work

and engages in improper business practices.

Police have charged him numerous times with bad check charges and motor

vehicle charges. First-degree sexual assault charges are also pending against

Mr Trudeau. Mr Trudeau has become the subject of investigations by the state

Department of Revenue Services, Department of Environmental Protection,

Department of Consumer Protection, Department of Motor Vehicles and Department

of Labor.