FARMINGTON — A Franklin County justice sentenced a former Wilton man Monday to 35 years in prison for bludgeoning his grandmother to death.

Dana Craney, 23, pleaded guilty to intentional and knowing murder in Franklin County Unified Court. He had pleaded not guilty in January 2015.

Joanne Goodreau, 67, was killed at the home she shared with Craney in Wilton on Dec. 20, 2014.

Assistant Attorney General Deborah Cashman said the state and defense reached a plea agreement with the recommendation of 35 years, to be served with the Department of Corrections.

Craney has been incarcerated since his arrest Dec. 21, 2014.

If the case went forward, Cashman said, several witnesses were prepared to testify at trial.

Katherine Lord, Goodreau’s daughter and Craney’s mother, would have testified that she had planned to take her mother shopping Dec. 20 since her mother did not drive. She had told her mother she would call her when she was ready. When she did call she couldn’t reach her mother, according to Cashman. At one point, Craney answered the phone and told Lord that Goodreau was unavailable.

According to Cashman, Lord was also prepared to testify she was aware that Craney and Goodreau would argue at times.

When Lord was calling for her mother on the day of the murder, Craney told Lord that he and Goodreau argued and that Goudreau left on foot.

Lord contacted police when she couldn’t find her mother.

Wilton Sgt. Chad Abbott would have testified that he went into the residence and could not find Goodreau, but did notice a wet spot on the floor near a bed.

According to Cashman, Franklin County Lt. David Rackliffe would have testified that he noticed a foot trail leading to the back of the residence and that he and his dog, Justice, followed the tracks to a depression that was covered with a piece of plywood and a couple of bags of trash. Rackliffe took out his flashlight and saw a body under the debris, Cashman told the court.

Initially Craney told detectives that he had no idea where his grandmother was, but later said he hit her on the head six or seven times with a hammer while she slept in bed, Cashman said.

Expert witnesses would testify that Goodreau’s DNA was found on the head of a hammer and Craney’s DNA was found on the handle of that hammer, she said.

Dr. Mark Flomenbaum, the state’s chief medical examiner, found that Goudreau’s death was caused by skull fractures and lacerations of the brain from blunt force trauma, Cashman said. There were 10 to 12 lacerations about her head and contusions on her left shoulder and hand, she said.

Defense attorney Walter “Woody” Hanstein said Craney disagreed with some particular elements of the state’s evidence, but it is not relevant to the state proving its case.

“This has been very difficult for our family,” Lord said, as she addressed the court.

“All in one day, I lost my mom. I lost my son,” she said.

There are four younger children at home and they lost their grandmother and their brother, Lord said.

It became apparent that her son had behavioral issues at a young age, she said.
“We did the best we could,” she said, and offered him opportunities for services.

It is no secret that she and her mother did not get along at times, Lord said, but she had started rebuilding their relationship several months before Goodreau died. Some of what they had fought over was Craney.

“My mother loved Mr. Craney with all of her heart. She protected him . . . it cost her her life,” Lord said.

Despite what happened, she said, she wanted Craney to know she still loved him.

“A mother’s love never dies, no matter what happens. I love my mother and that is what makes it so hard,” Lord said.

Hanstein said Craney couldn’t be more remorseful for what he did. He loved his grandmother very much. He has had a difficult life, including having mental health issues, since the murder.

Craney did not have a prior criminal history. He was living in a very dysfunctional arrangement with his grandmother, Hanstein said. Craney came to him and told him he wanted to make this right and wanted to take responsibility for what he did, Hanstein said.

Craney has entered into a plea agreement knowing there is no good time for good behavior, he said.

“There is a lot of good in him,” Hanstein said. “This is not what he wanted as the first act of his adult life.”

Craney said he disagreed with some of Lord’s statements. He was abused and neglected throughout his life and he wanted it to stop, he told the court.

He wanted to be seen as an intelligent, normal person and that was not how he was treated, he said.

“I do apologize for what I have done . . .  I, too, have to live with this for the rest of my life,” he said.

Justice Robert Mullen weighed the mitigating and aggravating factors before agreeing with the state’s recommendation of 35 years in prison. He took into account Craney’s troubled upbringing, lack of criminal record and the abuse and neglect he suffered as a child.

During his review, Mullen told Craney, “You took the life of your grandmother. She took you out of the foster care system and made her home, your home.”

dperry@sunmediagroup.net