Chris Plaskon is the 16-year-old suspect accused of stabbing Maren Sanchez to death at Jonathan Law High School in Milford, Connecticut.
The stabbing shocked classmates, who described Plaskon as a nice, normal kid who played sports and seemed to fit in well at the school.
Here’s what you need to know about Plaskon:
1. Friends Say He Stabbed Sanchez for Snubbing His Invite to the Prom
Maren Sanchez, 16-year-old sophomore and beloved classmate, was confirmed dead today by police. (Facebook/ Maren Sanchez)
Sanchez’s friend confirmed he was enraged that she rejected an invitation to be his date to Jonathan Law’s junior prom, which was scheduled to take place Friday night at Vazzano’s Four Seasons in nearby Stratford. School officials announced at a news conference that the prom and post-prom party had been postponed.
Witnesses said Plaskon shoved Sanchez down a flight of stairs and tried to choke her before stabbing her with a kitchen knife he had brought from home. Milford police said in a news release that Sanchez suffered multiple lacerations to her neck, chest and face.
‘ I know he threw you down the stairs , slit your throat & stabbed you in your neck . But Maren you at STRONG ! I know you can recover !
— . ᔕᒪIᗰᗰ . (@_imaaaannii) April 25, 2014
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2. He’s Going to Be Charged as an Adult
Plaskon was arraigned in New Haven juvenile court Monday, but Richard Meehan, told the Associated Press that Plaskon was apprehended on the scene by Jonathan Law’s school resource officer before Milford cops arrived. He was then arrested and charged with murder, Milford cops announced Friday. he is being held under psychiatric evaluation at a local hospital and wouldn’t be at the arraignment.
A Connecticut judicial branch spokeswoman told the New Haven Register Tuesday that Plaskon would be tried as an adult in Superior Court in Milford, where he will appear publicly for the first time on Friday.
Plaskon was apprehended on the scene by Jonathan Law’s school resource officer before Milford cops arrived. He was then arrested and charged with murder. (Watch video above from WTNH TV of the press conference after the killing.)
3. Classmates Described Him as a ‘Class Clown’ who Was Sometimes Depressed
Plaskon’s classmates were stunned that he was capable of such horror, and said he was a fairly nice and normal kid. The New York Post quoted students describing him as a “class clown” who was sometimes depressed and may have had attention deficit disorder.
The Post reports:
“He seems like a nice guy, but he’s the class clown,” Sanchez’s best friend, Imani Langson, 16, said of Plaskon.
“Then, out of nowhere, he snaps and kills her. It’s obvious that he was planning this.”
WTNH has a report from the school (embedded above) and updates on Plaskon’s status.
4. His Friend Was Dating Sanchez
(Twitter) Maren Sanchez: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know Jonathan Law School Stabbing: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know
The Post reports that Jarrod Butts, a close friend of Plaskon’s was dating Sanchez and was going to be Sanchez’s date to the prom, making her unable to accept Plaskon’s invitation to go with him.
Classmates told The Post that Plaskon had been obsessed with Sanchez for at least two years leading up to the attack.
Jonathan Law was closed Monday as students continued to mourn the loss of Sanchez, a model student who loved the arts and was active in an array of Law activities.
In the video below, Sanchez performs in “The Roaring Twenties,” which was posted to her YouTube page last spring.
5. He Told the School Resource Officer: ‘I Did It, Just Arrest Me’
According to court documents posted by the New Haven Register, Plaxton immediately admitted his guilt to the school resource officer who apprehended him, saying: “I did it. Just arrest me.” (Read the probable cause document posted by the Register above.)
Police said they recovered a knife thought to be used by Plaskon in the attack. Cops also executed a search warrant at Plaskon’s home, and are continuing the investigation at the school. (Read Milford cops’ description of the investigation in the passage above from last Friday’s news release.)
