Hamden man faces murder, arson charges for woman found dead after fire Woman’s body was found after December fire at home

HAMDEN >> A local man has been charged with murder in the death of a Hamden woman whose body was found after a December fire at her home.

Benjamin Carpenter, 26, was arrested by police Wednesday in New Haven, with assistance from several U.S. Marshal Service Task Force members, according to police spokesman Capt. Ronald Smith. Carpenter, who lives on Ralston Avenue, was charged with murder, first-degree arson, tampering with evidence and conspiracy.

Jennifer Antonier’s body was found in late Dec. 26 when a fire broke out at 28 Lilac Ave. An autopsy by the office of the chief medical examiner determined Anto­nier’s death was a homicide, Smith said.

However, police did not say how Antonier was killed. The medical examiner’s office said Thursday that the cause of her death was pending further studies.

Police Chief Thomas Wydra said during a press conference at police headquarters Thursday that Carpenter knew the victim.

Benjamin Carpenter Benjamin Carpenter Photo: Hamden Police Department Photo: Hamden Police Department Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Hamden man faces murder, arson charges for woman found dead after fire 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

“Our investigation concluded that there was a relationship between the victim and Mr. Carpenter,” Wydra said. “The status of that relationship is not something that I’m going to divulge right now, but they were known to each other.”

Wydra said that more arrests in this case are possible.

“Our investigation is ongoing and very active,” Wydra said.

A car registered to Antonier, which was found burned in New Haven shortly after the Lilac Avenue fire, played a key role in the case, according to Wydra.

“That’s a significant piece of the investigation and how we piece the puzzle together,” he said, while declining to say how or why the car ended up in New Haven.

Carpenter was being held in lieu of $1 million bail and was transported Thursday morning to Superior Court in Meriden.

Firefighters responded to the white, Colonial-style house where Antonier lived at about 1:30 a.m. Dec. 26.

Crews arrived to find heavy fire visible from the front porch and wires down around the house. They quickly put the flames out and found Antonier on the second floor.

Wydra said after the fire that Antonier, 45, suffered injuries unrelated to the fire and said her death was being investigated as a homicide.

Wydra at the time also said the town’s fire marshal was investigating whether the fire was accidental or arson.

Firefighters found a dog outside the house when they arrived, but Anto­nier was believed to be the only person who lived there. Town records showed the home was owned by a Milford woman.

In her obituary, Anto­nier was described as a talented artist and an eternal optimist.

“She was giving of herself and was always ready to lend a hand,” the obituary said. “She was a very special person who made the world a better place. She will be missed by all who knew and loved her.”

Antonier’s death was the third 2015 homicide in Hamden. In November, two men had been found shot dead in a running car in the parking lot of the Broadmoor Apartments on Mix Avenue. Police have not announced any arrests in that case.