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Josh Lanier

Assistant Managing Editor

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Josh Lanier started his reporting career in high school for his local newspaper. Many — many — years later, he’s still chasing leads for compelling stories. During his time writing for newspapers, magazines, and online publications, he’s covered everything from murderers to mommy bloggers, but his most interesting story is always the next one.


Josh Lanier's Contributions

Police & Fire
2 Men ID'd After Fatal Hartford Stabbing, Shooting During Brawl; Teen Stable 2 Men ID'd After Fatal Hartford Stabbing, Shooting During Brawl; Teen Stable
2 Men ID'd After Fatal Hartford Stabbing, Shooting During Brawl; Teen Stable Police have identified the two men killed after a fight in Hartford ended in a fatal stabbing and shooting that also left a 17-year-old seriously wounded. The violence happened Wednesday, July 1, in the 100 block of Madison Street. Officers responded just after 7 p.m. after receiving a report of a large fight. Hartford officers found 36-year-old Troylon Cooper, of Manchester, with an apparent stab wound. Paramedics rushed him to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead. While officers were still at the scene, police learned that two other people involved in the same incident had been…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
CT Felon Accused Of Leading Bristol Police On Chase Before Gun, Crack Cocaine Bust CT Felon Accused Of Leading Bristol Police On Chase Before Gun, Crack Cocaine Bust
CT Felon Accused Of Leading Bristol Police On Chase Before Gun, Crack Cocaine Bust Police say a Connecticut man led officers on a chase before they caught him with a stolen firearm and 27 grams of crack cocaine in Bristol. Markev Nordby, of Waterbury, was the target of officers "conducting surveillance targeting narcotics sales" Tuesday evening, June 30, when they tried to stop him in Bristol, according to police. Investigators said Nordby, who is prohibited from possessing a firearm because of a felony conviction, fled in his vehicle when officers attempted the traffic stop. They found him nearby soon after, but he ran away from officers before being arrested. Police ch…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Meriden Man Pointed Loaded Gun At Kids For Looking At His Car In East Haven, Police Say Meriden Man Pointed Loaded Gun At Kids For Looking At His Car In East Haven, Police Say
Meriden Man Pointed Loaded Gun At Kids For Looking At His Car In East Haven, Police Say Police say a Connecticut man pointed a loaded .357 magnum revolver at two children after they looked at his car.  Jose Juan Velasquez Jr., 39, of Meriden was charged after the incident, which happened around 7:15 p.m. Sunday, June 28, on Main Street in East Haven, police said.  The juveniles were walking from the McDonald's on Main Street when they noticed an older model Honda Accord speeding down the road. After they looked at the car, the driver stopped in the middle of the street and pointed a handgun out the driver's side window at them, East Haven police said.  The driv…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
NY Woman Accused In Sex Trafficking Ring That Operated Massachusetts Brothels: Feds NY Woman Accused In Sex Trafficking Ring That Operated Massachusetts Brothels: Feds
NY Woman Accused In Sex Trafficking Ring That Operated Massachusetts Brothels: Feds A New York woman and Chinese national has been federally indicted after prosecutors accused her of running an alleged sex trafficking operation out of residential brothels in the Boston area. Zengzeng Liu, 40, of Flushing, New York, also known as "Bella," is accused of managing an international operation beginning no later than August 2025. Investigators say women, many of them foreign nationals from Japan, Vietnam, China, and the Philippines, were recruited to travel to the Greater Boston area to engage in commercial sex acts, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts said. She is…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
CT Man Guilty Of Gunpoint Kidnapping, Assaulting Ex Faces 61 Years In Prison CT Man Guilty Of Gunpoint Kidnapping, Assaulting Ex Faces 61 Years In Prison
CT Man Guilty Of Gunpoint Kidnapping, Assaulting Ex Faces 61 Years In Prison A Connecticut man faces decades behind bars after a jury convicted him of breaking into his ex-girlfriend's home, forcing her into his truck at gunpoint, and driving her across the state while threatening and assaulting her. Brian Hogan, 52, of Torrington, was found guilty on Tuesday, June 30, of home invasion with a deadly weapon, first-degree kidnapping with a firearm, first-degree kidnapping, third-degree assault, and first-degree threatening, according to Litchfield Judicial District State's Attorney David R. Shannon. Hogan's ex-girlfriend told investigators she woke up on Sept. 17, 202…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
CT Man Accused Of Anti-Islamic Threats, Harassing Calls To Vernon Mosque CT Man Accused Of Anti-Islamic Threats, Harassing Calls To Vernon Mosque
CT Man Accused Of Anti-Islamic Threats, Harassing Calls To Vernon Mosque A Connecticut man is accused of making multiple harassing and bias-motivated phone calls to the Islamic Center of Vernon, police said. Jason Biggar, 45, of Manchester, was arrested Wednesday, July 1, following an investigation involving the Islamic Center of Vernon, police said. The investigation started after the department received reports that Biggar made multiple unsolicited phone calls containing derogatory and offensive remarks aimed at a victim and the victim's religious beliefs. In the recorded calls, Biggar launched into profanity-laced racist and anti-Islamic diatribes and threat…

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by Josh Lanier
News
CT Trooper Used Unjustified Deadly Force During 120 MPH Norwich Chase, No Charges Coming: IG CT Trooper Used Unjustified Deadly Force During 120 MPH Norwich Chase, No Charges Coming: IG
CT Trooper Used Unjustified Deadly Force During 120 MPH Norwich Chase, No Charges Coming: IG An investigation found that a Connecticut state trooper who repeatedly rammed his cruiser into another vehicle during a high-speed chase late last year was not legally justified in using deadly force, but authorities said they will not pursue criminal charges against the officer. The Office of the Inspector General on Thursday, July 2, released its investigation into Trooper Wilfred J. Blanchette's use of force during a chase on Route 2 in Norwich on Nov. 24, 2025. Click here to read the 116-page report. Blanchette spotted a Honda Accord traveling between 80 and 90 mph on Route 2A in Montvi…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
76-Year-Old Hull Man ID'd After Apparent Drowning Off Nantasket Beach 76-Year-Old Hull Man ID'd After Apparent Drowning Off Nantasket Beach
76-Year-Old Hull Man ID'd After Apparent Drowning Off Nantasket Beach Authorities have identified a 76-year-old man who is believed to have drowned in Massachusetts earlier this week.  Robert Nolan, of Hull, was found floating off Nantasket Beach around 8:40 p.m. Wednesday, July 1, the Plymouth County District Attorney's Office said.  Hull firefighters pulled him from the water, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.  Authorities do not suspect foul play in Nolan's death. He is believed to have drowned, the prosecutor's office said.  The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine the cause of his death and whether an…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
60 Cars Destroyed As Fire, Explosions Rip Through Auto Auction Lot In Templeton 60 Cars Destroyed As Fire, Explosions Rip Through Auto Auction Lot In Templeton
60 Cars Destroyed As Fire, Explosions Rip Through Auto Auction Lot In Templeton Dozens of cars burned and were destroyed when a fire tore through a central Massachusetts auto auction yard.  A 911 call sent firefighters rushing to the three-alarm blaze at Insurance Auto Auctions on Baldwinville Road in Templeton at around 2 a.m. Thursday, July 2. Crews rushed to find multiple vehicles fully engulfed in flames. Firefighters from several regional departments responded to get the blaze under control.  Gardner firefighters said that about 60 cars were destroyed. No injuries have been reported.  Multiple vehicles were scheduled for an auction at…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
State's First Anonymous Jury Convicts Meriden Man Of Murder In 2019 Killing State's First Anonymous Jury Convicts Meriden Man Of Murder In 2019 Killing
State's First Anonymous Jury Convicts Meriden Man Of Murder In 2019 Killing A jury has found a Connecticut man guilty of murder by Connecticut's first-ever anonymous jury, marking a historic case that ended with convictions on multiple charges but was deadlocked on one count.  Joseph Stokes, 26, was convicted on Monday, June 29, of the 2019 shooting death of Aaron Ormsby in Meriden. Stokes was found guilty of murder, attempted illegal transfer or purchase of a firearm, conspiracy to commit illegal transfer or purchase of a firearm, and carrying a pistol without a permit, authorities said.  Jurors, however, could not reach a unanimous verdict on …

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by Josh Lanier
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