Inside The Mind Of William Devin Howell: Connecticut's Most Prolific Serial Killer
Explore the chilling case of William Devin Howell, who buried seven victims behind a strip mall in New Britain. Learn about his early life, the victims, the investigation, and how he became Connecticut’s deadliest serial killer.
Jul 21, 20252K Shares115.4K Views
William Devin Howellwas born in Hampton, Virginia, around 1970. He grew up in that area and the family said he came from a stable home with no known abuse in childhood. In his early 20s, Howell began having trouble with the law. He had several convictions in Virginia for crimes such as larceny and burglary, and he was also arrested in Georgia and New Jersey. At one point in the early 1990s, his mother asked him to leave the family home because he “could not stay out of trouble,” and he drifted away, eventually moving north to Connecticut.
Victims
Melanie Ruth Camilini
Melanie Ruth Camilini was 29 years old and a mother of two children. She lived in Seymour, Connecticut, and was last seen on January 1, 2003, near Waterbury. Melanie had struggled with drug addiction and was known to go missing for short periods, which is why her absence was not immediately reported. Her body was later found buried behind a strip mall in New Britain, where Howell had hidden the remains of his other victims. Her remains were officially identified in 2015.
Janice Roberts
Janice Roberts was a 44-year-old transgender woman who lived in New Britain. She was last seen on June 18, 2003, getting into William Howell’s blue van outside a Stop & Shop store in Wethersfield. Her family reported her missing on June 24. During his confession, Howell admitted that he strangled Janice after realizing she was transgender. Her body was among those later found in the wooded area behind the shopping plaza in New Britain.
Diane Cusack
Diane Cusack was 55 years old and lived in New Britain. Her last known contact with authorities was on July 9, 2003. She was never reported missing by family or friends, which delayed the discovery of her case. Her skeletal remains were discovered in 2007 in the same wooded location as Howell’s other victims. She was later identified through dental records in 2011.
Nilsa Arizmendi
Nilsa Arizmendi was 33 years old and lived in Wethersfield. She was reported missing on July 31, 2003. Her boyfriend told police that she was last seen on July 25 getting into Howell’s van. Later, police found bloodstains in Howell’s van that matched Nilsa’s DNA. Her body was eventually found buried behind the strip mall in New Britain during a large-scale search in April 2015.
Marilyn Gonzalez
Marilyn Gonzalez was 26 years old and a mother of two children from Waterbury, Connecticut. She went missing in 2003. Her remains were found in the same burial site in April 2015. Like some of Howell’s other victims, Marilyn had a history of drug use and had been living a difficult life before she disappeared.
Joyvaline Martinez
Joyvaline Martinez, also known as Joy, was 23 years old. She was a former high school track star from East Hartford. She disappeared on October 10, 2003, but her disappearance was not reported until March 2004. Her remains were among the first to be uncovered in 2007 during an early investigation of the burial site. She was officially identified in 2013.
Mary Jane Menard
Mary Jane Menard was 40 years old and lived in New Britain. Before her disappearance, she had worked as a substance abuse counselor. She went missing in October 2003. Her remains were discovered in the same wooded area in 2007. She was the last of the victims to be linked to Howell.
Investigation
Discovery of the Remains
Investigators first uncovered human remains in 2007 when a hunter found a skull and other bones in a marshy, wooded area behind a strip mall on Hartford Road in New Britain. Police later confirmed these remains belonged to multiple missing persons from 2003. In 2015, further excavations recovered four more bodies buried at the same location. These remains were confirmed to be victims of Howell.
Blood and Evidence in Howell’s Van
While Howell was in custody for the death of Nilsa Arizmendi, detectives seized his blue 1985 Ford Econoline van. The van’s back seat cushion showed bloodstains that matched Nilsa’s DNA. Investigators also found videotapes of Howell and other women, along with hair, carpet fibers, and a blood-stained knife.
Cellmate Confessions and Victim Details
In recorded jailhouse conversations, Howell described himself as a “sick ripper” and “monster inside,” admitting he killed seven people over six months in 2003. He called his burial site behind the mall his “garden.” In these conversations he said he had sexually assaulted at least three of the victims, slept next to one body in the van, and mutilated that body before transporting parts to Virginia.
Formation of a Task Force
In 2014, Connecticut authorities established the New Britain Serial Murder Task Force, combining local, state, and federal resources. This team carried out systematic excavations of the burial site and worked to identify the victims. Their efforts led to the recovery and identification of all seven remains by 2015.
Charges and Legal Proceedings
On May 16, 2005, Connecticut filed charges against Howell in connection with the death of Nilsa Arizmendi. He later pleaded guilty to manslaughter and received a 15-year sentence. As more evidence tied him to the other deaths, he faced additional murder charges in 2015. In September 2017, Howell pleaded guilty to six counts of murder in New Britain Superior Court to spare families the trauma of a trial. He received six consecutive life sentences, adding up to an effective 360-year term.
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