The Intersection of Life and Death- The life of Melissa Milan Revisited

IT HAPPENED ON NOVEMBER 20, 2014 - The eleventh anniversary is approaching in just two weeks since Melissa Milan passed in the most heinous of ways.  

WHAT MAKES THIS STORY HIGHLY UNUSUAL?

***Read the entire story to learn, among other things,

1) The perpetrator came directly  from a sex offender group and began looking for his victiim 

2) He made this crazy statement to the police  - 

“If I just killed somebody, it would make all that (previous sex

offenses) go away and I wouldn’t have to explain myself.”

3) After years of this case being unsolved, the perp actually turned himself in and confessed! Yes!  

The homicide of a Connecticut woman running for recreation was Melissa- # 111 of   155 from a Wikipedia list from 1975 to 2024). The vast majority were female victims.

Melissa’s Background and her Passion for Running .

There is no doubt that Melissa Millan, at age 54, was a renaissance woman

in the true sense in which her life pursuits harnessed talents embodying all

things mind, body and spirit.

Chamber orchestra, cross country, hiking skiing, biking, a mentor to others,

caring and compassionate family member and tremendous business

leader.

Melissa rose to the top of the corporate executive ladder in the insurance

industry. She was previously married and had two children. It was noted

that the divorce was fairly amicable, although she was ordered to pay her

ex-husband $8,000 per month in alimony. 

Her murder occurred on a typical fall night.

At that time, she had a 13 year tenure as the Senior Vice President for

Massachusetts Mutual Insurance Company in the Retirement Services

Division - just 30 miles from her Simsbury, CT home.

As an avid runner, Mellisa used the Simsbury Greenway-a paved strip parallel along Ironhorse Blvd, separated from traffic by a low wooden fence and intermittent street lamps. It is an interconnected series of bike trails

spanning from Southwick, Mass to Collisnville, CT - filled with history, maintaining the character of New England with splendid scenery. In fact, Simsbury was designated the first bicycle friendly community in Connecticut, holding their first event in 2011- a 48 mile trek. This  section in Simsbury is 9 miles long, paved,“easy terrain” and takes about an hour bybike. It officially closes at sunset.

The Charter Oak Greenway

At 7:36 p.m; Melissa had her usual gear with her- a headlamp and bright reflective clothing. But, little did she realize a predator was lurking in the dark and he had a plan to kill after he decided without any real interaction with Melissa, that “she was out of his

league.”

The perpetrator didn’t stalk her in the sense of having a personal historyor a well thought out plan. 

This was a crime of opportunity- one solely cooked up in his warped mind in a matter of a minute or two.

Although Melissa was extremely physically fit, she was not prepared.

She was not safe, as we have seen in other examples such as experienced

hikers. You can plan and have experience, but it may not save you in a crisis.

(See this blog  https://donnagore.com/2016/11/29/taking-a-wrong-turn-too-many-times-the

-tragic-death-of-an-appalachian-hiker-gone-missing/ )

***This  hard truth was quoted as by an expert fitness trainer-

“The Only Way to Guarantee You Won’t be Attacked While Running is to Not Go Running.”

On this sober note, I can only speculate that Melissa Millan had a false sense of security. She had probably run this route many, many times.

With the severity of her wounds and the fact that she actually removed the weapon- a knife from her chest, her chances of survival were slim without stopping the bleeding and the extent of internal bleeding.

The Circumstances of the Deadly Encounter; and the Perpetrator-

This was not ‘just another attack’” on that dark fall night in Simsbury.

Yes, the victim was clearly an exceptional woman who never deserved her

fate. But the history, actions and behavior of perpetrator William Winters

Leverett and his family serve to make this story incredulous!

● William Leverett was 23 at the time of the crime and initially lived with

his grandparents in Windsor Locks, CT;

● He had a prior conviction as a sex offender in Colorado -an 11 year

old girl- a family friend whom he molested several times. He “got off”

with probation, a $438 fine and registed as a sex offender;

● His grandfather, a poet, wrote a letter to the surrounding neighbors,

in an effort for “transparency” saying his grandson’s past offenses

“were only a misunderstanding;” (Hardly!)

● The perpetrator came to Simbury, CT in 2011, registered as

a sex offender in CT and started his own produce stand. 

He was then  hired by the Fresh Market in Avon as an Assistant Manger

where he had a clean record for the intervening five years.

 But, co-workers described his affect as “weird” while others said he was “child-like.”

● Leverett’s routine was to attend sex offender therapy sessions in Hartford as well as a church based in Windsor Locks called OpenGate Ministeries.

 (Apparently a very conservative congregation based on information from their Facebook content).

Meetings were held in congregant’s homes in different towns in a

kind of “round robin fashion” Leverett had been a member for

approximately 3.5 years

● On the night of the crime, the lexicon Leverett used regarding his

state of mind was “lonely,  ‘seeking human contact” after arriving

home from his sex offender support group. Even his dog was not there…

Therefore, we went prowling.

He drove to the Simsbury Post Office after dark- A nondescript one story brick building with entry on the right, flanked by four windows and a driveway on the right side.

Only two small lantern lights are visible on either side of the entrance.● (Many post offices in smaller towns in Connecticut have the same exact architecture).

● The perpetrator’s “faulty thinking” would have been so obvious to the

rest of us. Why would he go to a post office around 7 pm for human contact?

● Initially, he parked at the post office, and actually rejected the opportunity to speak to a man walking his dog. Why?

I think, he in fact, really wanted a woman… any woman!

At 23 years old, it isn’t known whether he had ever had an intimate relationship to that point. Supposedly he was put off by the cold night air...or was it something else?

A Murder Plan Was Percolating for the Love of a Woman and a Very Misguided Suitor-

● Motive & Irrational Thought Process - Months earlier, several

publications report he had a lot on his mind. Among his concerns, he

had met a woman named Kerri, perhaps at church or at work.

Leverett supposedly was “worried and embarrassed about his sex

offender status and she learning about it” and thus rejecting him.

● He explained to Simsbury police during his in person confession,

“If I just killed somebody, it would make all that (previous sex

offenses) go away and I wouldn’t have to explain myself.

I suspect that this woman Kerri was the motive for murder and a potentially a future love in his sick mind  in the months leading up to Melissa Milan’s murder. Oh, what a heavy burden for this poor woman!

● A Crime of Opportunity-

Leverett returned to his car, drove further down the road and stopped at an

intersection. At that moment, Melissa Milan appeared in his view, running in

front of his car. Dare I say it? Had it been any other woman, there is no doubt, that person would have been a murder victim

.● This moment was pivotal, as various accounts have described his reaction as “frenzied” getting mentally aroused.

● Frenzy-Definition- a state or period of uncontrolled excitement or wild behavior.

● Do not forget, it was dark, although Melissa wore a headlamp and bright pink outerwear. It must have been only a glance. She was 54; He was 23. How could he have “selected her” and in an instant grew very angry, deciding that she was “way out of his league” and “He couldn’t have her?” I suggest that it was more than mental arousal.

 Had his years of pent-up frustrations just reached a point of no return?”

● He overtook Melissa with his car, excitedly and intentionally went to an unlit portion of the trail, while in his frenzy

. When she approached, he purposeful\y ran into her, plunging a knife into her chest, whereafter she pushed him, causing the knife to be removed while he was still holding onto it. She exclaimed, “Oh my God, Oh my God, Oh, My God.”  She then fell over the wooden guardrail onto Iron Horse Blvd. The bloodied perpetrator then ran away- for nearly 4 years!. Luckily a passerby found Melissa, in minutes, called 911. She was transported to Trauma Center in Hartford, but she could not be saved.

● It is a curious sidenote, that this sexual offender chose not to attack sexually, but instead chose to murder. An on line review of literature did not lend any information about an offender who violates children and then, as an adult, choses to murder without the sexual component;

● After exhaustive investigative efforts by multiple agencies, this case remained cold with no true suspects, no direct evidence. Six months later, with a “tempting infusion of cash,” someone from the community

anonymously donated $40,000. However, this valiant effort did not help to bring resolution.Unheard of- A Perpetrator Reveals his Crime Buried in his Psyche for Almost 4 years!

● After three and a half years, a confidant at Leverett’s church was witness to his horrifying confession; The person

immediately went to OpenGate Church co-pastors Michael & Collette Trazinski of Windsor Locks, CT, who were shocked and stunned to the core and told Everett “You know what you need to do.”

” Everyone was crying after his initial confession. The three church members then accompanied Leverett to the Simsbury Police to confess.

● This event is remarkable for so many reasons - Confessing, “growing a conscience” after nearly 4 years; Trustiing church members, and actually walking into the police department to “do the deed.”

”Had he not confessed, he would most likely have gotten away with murder, as there were no leads or probable cause for any arrests. Alternately, this perpetrator may have committed suicide, perhaps.

● Confession Letters Never Sent - Sometime in the intervening nearly 4 years, the perpetrator reported and the police verified by search, that he wrote confession letters to family and friends.

HOWEVER, they were very generic, and only referred to “a serious crime, ” in addition to never sending the letters!

How Common are Confessions to the Police  In the Aftermath of the Crime?

To date, no one has addressed this interesting question.

I sought answers both nationally and in Connecticut. I could find no apparent data addressing this issue nationally

from the DOJ or any other entity. Confessions- After the Fact in Connecticut-Only two were found in Connecticut - 

1)  Joseph “MadDog” Taborsky, for this heinous robbed and killed Lous Wolfson, a liquor “package store” owner and confessed on  March 23, 1950;

2) In November 2019,, Willie McFarland, 52, of New Haven confessed to the murder of father and son Fred-59

and Greg Harris, 29 - after 32 years.  DNA played a role. These incidents are very rare indeed when only two can be found in 60 years in one state! 

Unfortunately, William Winters Leverett may be known for the confession alone, rather than taking the life of Melissa Millan!

The Police Investigation and Unburying Evidence-

It is not a writer’s job to unnecessarily point fingers Although Simbury is a small very affluent town, they encounter very few murders. Police reportedly worked in concert with the FBI and handed the case over

to the State’s Attorney Cold Case Unit at some point in 2017 when no leads were found.

Knowing the demeanor of Leverett, his “child like nature” lack of sophistication and mental instability, I have to wonder how he kept law enforcement at bay for so long?

Some publications have stated that the arrest hinged solely on his confession, knowing Melissa’s specific clothing and one glove with damning DNA. However, there was more evidence as Leverett recounted.

The Evidence -

Knife - He threw it out the car window on a side street and went

back to retrieve it a few days later… and then discarded it in a trash

compactor at work. Hmmm. No mention of the trash compactor testing .

[ Blood residue has even been recovered from 100,000-year-old stone tools. ... The antigens that allow blood group testing, however, deteriorate with age or improper storage.]

His Bloodied Clothing - He reported that he washed his bloody clothing;

Bloodied Boots - Held and then donated to Goodwill Several months later. (No way to trace?) It makes one think about Goodwill donations...

Bloodied Gloves - Hidden in a relative’s barn and then the property was sold; One glove fell behind a cabinet that he could not reach.However, the OTHER glove was located with the assistance of police in the rafters of the barn.

Leverett was arrested, charged with murder on Sunday,

September 23, 2018. He was arraigned on Monday, September 25, 2018 in Enfield , CT.

Judge Sheila Prats kept Leverett’s bail at $2 million and transferred his case to Hartford Superior Court, which deals with more serious crimes.

*** In May 2022, the perpetrator rejected a plea deal and was sentenced to 35 years in prison followed by 7 years of special probation. Leverett’s mother, residing in Colorado Springs, cried and was unaware of this crime and his confession. Pastor Trazinski “became a father figure to him” because Leverett had a “very poor upbringing.”

Response by Melissa’s Family- 

Melissa Millan’s family responded with class, saying- 

 “The arrest and arraignment of Leverett brought renewed grief, heartache and the knowledge that justice can never be served for the senseless act that robbed them of her beautiful presence”

At the time of sentencing, Melissa’s children Zeke and Tori,  were respectively 15 and 12 at the time of the murder. However, they completed victim impact statements. 

Running Safety in Memory of Melissa Milan - 

Running safety tips are plentiful- including

1) Run against traffic, 2) Do not listen to music; 3)bring a dog, 

4) Bring a  charged cell phone;  5) Use a self defense tool, or use safety companion apps that locate where you are and send alerts, sirens if not respond to. (Ex- ReactMobile, Kitestring, bSafe, RoadID) 

6)Keep a contact list in your phone should you not respond or not reach your destination.

***However apps may locate your location but not how to access you immediately.

The bottom line- Self-defense and fitness experts stress the fact that safety

tools need to be practiced, and may fail, so they always recommend

having a plan B.

Thanks for reading and commenting.

Donna 

November 2025