Connecticut Divorce Lawyer Kills Wife on Christmas Before Turning Gun on Himself

facebook Cindy and John Liquori

Authorities in Connecticut believe a well-known divorce attorney fatally shot his wife on Christmas Day before turning the gun on himself — but they aren't able to say what motivated Friday's violence.

John and Cindy Liquori were found dead inside her mother Claire Palmer's Windsor Locks residence.

Cindy, 55, was there to watch her mother's dogs, according to the Journal Inquirer. Her mother is hospitalized with COVID-19.

Investigators said Cindy was shot to death as she slept, reports the Hartford Courant.

John, 59, then laid down on the bed next to his wife and killed himself.

According to the Courant, John called Cindy's brother on Friday, asking that he come over and pick up the dogs.

The paper's report says the brother found both bodies at about 6 p.m.

A revolver was recovered from the scene.

The couple lived in nearby Suffield, reports Patch.com.

Police continue to investigate what led to the murder-suicide.

Cindy owned and operated Cindy's Soap Cottage, a small shop specializing in artisanal soaps, CBD topicals and tinctures, bath bombs and candles.

As the coronavirus pandemic took hold in Connecticut, Cindy turned to making high-quality masks and hand sanitizer, Patch.com reports.

"The last eight months have been very busy and stressful," Cindy told the site in an interview two weeks before her death. "When the pandemic started, I wanted to ensure that my store was essential, so I hired about 15 people to make masks. To date, we have sold over 16,000 handmade local quality masks, which I'm very proud of. We worked our tails off to get them out quickly at a great price. We also sold over 8,000 bottles of hand sanitizer."

Cindy did not profit from the masks, giving almost all of the money to the workers who sewed them. "I didn't care about the money," she said. "I just wanted to get them out to the public and I just wanted to ensure that I broke even."

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.