Officer on leave for how he handled case of slain Milford mother

MILFORD, CT (WFSB) - A Milford police officer is on administrative leave for how he handled the case of a mother who was recently murdered.

It is in connection with how the officer processed an arrest warrant before Julie Minogue died.

Police arrested her ex-boyfriend Ewen Dewitt. He’s accused of attacking and killing Julie Minogue earlier this month.

The two had a tumultuous history.

Julie Minogue had filed a protective order against Dewitt in 2021.

Police said on November 14, Dewitt violated that order when he harassed her, sending her more than 200 text messages.

On November 18, four days later, Officer Knablin finished an arrest warrant application for Dewitt.

Three days later, on November 21, the state’s attorney sent it back to the officer saying there was not enough information.

The arrest warrant was completed on December 14, eight days after Minogue was murdered.

There is now an internal investigation into Officer Knablin’s actions.

“Why are these processes taking so long? Is it a lack of resources? Is that something as a state we should be looking at more thoroughly? Do they need more resources in the state’s attorney’s office to deal with these cases in a more timely fashion?” said Senator Mae Flexer.

State Senator Mae Flexer has pushed for stronger domestic violence laws in the state.

“There’s something to be learned about what in the system is working when we are trying to help victims become survivors and what isn’t working and it seems in this situation there’s something to be learned,” said Senator Flexer. “This terrible tragedy that’s happened, this loss of life, the tragedy that’s effecting these children has been heartbreaking.”

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