Dating-app charmer accused of murder after history of domestic arrests involving women he met online

A Connecticut antheral accused of murdering his woman months aft she was recovered dormant astatine the bottommost of a staircase had a abstracted pending home unit lawsuit successful which different pistillate told constabulary helium strangled, threatened and assaulted her aft gathering her connected a dating app, tribunal records show.

Cole Theodore Werhan, 28, of Burlington, Connecticut, was arrested Tuesday and charged with execution successful transportation with the decease of 26-year-old Janina Brooke Murphy, of Duxbury, Massachusetts, according to Connecticut State Police.

Murphy, who went by Brooke, was recovered successful March astatine the bottommost of a staircase wrong the Burlington location wherever she had been living. State constabulary described the decease arsenic suspicious astatine the time.

Cole Theodore Werhan, 28, of Burlington, Connecticut, is accused of sidesplitting 26-year-old Janina Brooke Murphy aft authorities said her decease from a caput wounded was ruled a homicide. (Connecticut State Police)

This week, the Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined Murphy died from blunt unit wounded of the caput and ruled her decease a homicide.

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"Another detective got connected the phone. He said, 'I privation you to cognize something. Your girl didn't conscionable autumn down the stairs. She had wounds each implicit her,'" Murphy’s mother, Beth Murphy, told WBZ-TV.

Beth Murphy said her girl and Werhan were dating, and that the homicide ruling confirmed what her household had feared.

"It's confirmed, it wasn't an accident. So that part, really, that's tough," she told WBZ-TV.

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Janina Brooke Murphy, 26, of Duxbury, Massachusetts, was remembered by her parent arsenic a kind, creator pistillate with "a bosom of gold" aft authorities ruled her decease a homicide. (Cartmell-Davis Funeral Home)

Court records reviewed by Fox News Digital amusement Werhan was already facing pending home unit charges successful a abstracted lawsuit retired of Torrington Superior Court. In that case, a pistillate told Connecticut State Police investigators she met Werhan connected Hinge and that their connection initially seemed mean earlier helium began "love bombing" her, according to an apprehension warrant affidavit.

The pistillate told constabulary that during their archetypal in-person gathering astatine Werhan’s Burlington home, helium was drinking and physically assaulted her, the warrant says.

She alleged that betwixt May and August 2025, Werhan slapped her, pulled her hair, screamed successful her face, held her down and, during 1 incident, ran up down her arsenic she tried to leave, grabbed her, threw her backmost into the location and held her down, according to the affidavit.

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In different alleged incident, the pistillate told constabulary Werhan strangled her with his hands astir her cervix portion helium was connected apical of her, squeezing until she could not breathe, the warrant says. She told investigators she did not suffer consciousness but had bruising connected her cervix for astir a week.

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The pistillate besides told constabulary Werhan threatened her and said helium wanted to termination her, according to the warrant.

"Complainant #1 stated that Werhan would outcry astatine her, insult her, and accidental that helium hated her," the affidavit says. "Complainant #1 explained that Werhan would archer her that helium wanted to termination her."

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Cole Theodore Werhan, 28, of Burlington, Connecticut, is charged with execution successful the decease of his girlfriend, Janina Brooke Murphy, and was already facing pending home unit charges successful abstracted cases, tribunal records show. (Connecticut State Police)

The pistillate told investigators she yet near due to the fact that she believed that if she went backmost to him, "she would extremity up dead," according to the warrant.

Werhan was charged successful that lawsuit with second-degree strangulation oregon suffocation, second-degree threatening and disorderly conduct.

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State judicial records besides amusement Werhan had different pending lawsuit involving alleged home violence-related charges from November 2025, including breach of peace, third-degree assault, disorderly conduct, unlawful restraint and threatening. That lawsuit listed a $75,000 bond.

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Werhan is present being held connected a $5 cardinal currency enslaved successful the execution lawsuit and was arraigned Wednesday successful Torrington Superior Court, WBZ-TV reported. Prosecutors called Werhan an "extreme information to the community," according to CBS News.

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Beth Murphy described her girl arsenic kind, creator and profoundly loved.

"So galore radical said she was my champion friend. Like, beauteous overmuch everybody said Brooke was my champion friend. She had a bosom of gold," she told WBZ-TV.

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Murphy would person turned 27 connected June 17.

Connecticut State Police said the probe into the circumstances surrounding her decease remains active. Fox News Digital reached retired to Werhan's attorney.