A Connecticut judge handed down a consecutive 60-year prison sentence to a father who brutally beat his 12-year-old son to death with a baseball bat and tried to kill his teenage daughter inside their home last year.
New Haven Judicial District State’s Attorney John P. Doyle, Jr. announced that Anthony Andrew Esposito, Jr., 53, of Branford, was sentenced to 40 years for the murder of his son and an additional 20 years to serve consecutively for the attempted murder. The sentencing follows Esposito’s April 24, 2026, guilty plea to charges of Murder and Attempted Murder in Superior Court in New Haven.
The incident began around 4 p.m. on May 1, 2025, when Branford police received a call from a woman stating she believed Esposito had killed someone inside his residence. While officers were en route, they learned he had already left the scene. Inside the basement of the condominium, authorities discovered 12-year-old Anthony P. Esposito lying with serious injuries after being struck numerous times with a baseball bat. A paramedic pronounced the pre-teen deceased at the scene.
A regionwide alert was issued to locate Esposito. Shortly afterward, Connecticut State Police troopers from Troop F spotted and stopped his vehicle on Route 79 near the Durham–Madison town line. He was taken into custody and turned over to the Branford Police Department.
According to police, Esposito admitted leaving the condominium after the killing, knowing the boy was dead, and driving to the town green to pick up his teenage daughter. After they returned home, the daughter asked where her brother was. Esposito told her the boy was downstairs and followed her to the staircase, where he pushed her down toward the area holding her brother’s body. Police reported that Esposito confessed that if he had been able to reach the baseball bat a second time, he likely would have killed his daughter as well. She managed to escape the basement safely, after which Esposito fled in his vehicle before being apprehended by State Police.
Esposito told officers that his son had been disrespectful and that he often heard the voices of his parents—who he claimed abused him as a child—in his head. Esposito said the voices told him not to let his son “get away with [it]” and said, “Baseball, baseball bat,” prompting him to start swinging it and hitting his son in the back of the head.
The case was prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorney Adrienne Russo and Assistant State’s Attorney Cynthia Lill, with assistance from Inspector Sean M. Faughnan and Victim Advocate Christie Ciancola. At the sentencing, Russo described the crime as “unfathomable” and highlighted the courage shown by the victim’s sister and mother throughout the case.
Judge Dayton also commended both the mother and daughter for their bravery as they addressed the court during the hearing. The judge recognized the first responders present in the courtroom from the Branford Police Department, Branford Fire Department, and Connecticut State Police, noting that this was “one of the worst cases the Court has seen.”
The extensive investigation involved a number of agencies, including Connecticut State Police Troop F, the Branford Fire Department, North Branford Police Department, the Connecticut State Police Central District Major Crime Squad, the New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, and the Division of Scientific Services within the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection.
Relatives launched a fundraiser to support the boy’s family at the time of his death via GoFundMe, describing him as a “bright and loving” child whose “smile, laughter, and kind soul brought warmth to our lives.” Ongoing support for the family has been provided by the Branford Counseling Center and the Office of Victim Services.
State’s Attorney Doyle extended his gratitude to all responding agencies, offering particular recognition to Branford Police Social Worker Danielle Suraci and the prosecutors for their extraordinary efforts in supporting and guiding the family from the night of the crime through the sentencing.
“Few tragedies are more devastating than the loss of a child,” State’s Attorney Doyle said. “Anthony’s death is a heartbreaking reminder of how deeply our communities depend on those who work every day to protect the most vulnerable among us. I am profoundly grateful to the dedicated professionals who responded to this case with courage, compassion, and unwavering commitment. Their work honors Anthony’s memory and strengthens our resolve to seek justice for all children.”
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