Overview

• Donald Coffel, 68, was arrested on April 25 and charged with murder, tampering with evidence, and improper disposal of a body in connection with Suzanne Wormser's death.
• Coffel confessed to striking Wormser with a baseball bat, dismembering her body, and disposing of parts in garbage bags and a suitcase near Colonel Ledyard Cemetery.
• The investigation, which began after Wormser’s torso was found in a suitcase on March 19, linked evidence from their shared Groton apartment to the disposal site.
• Authorities believe the arrest dispels earlier rumors of a serial killer in the region, which had caused public concern across multiple states.
• Coffel is being held on a $1 million bond while police continue to investigate the motive, with one witness alleging a dispute over stolen drugs.