Josh Lanier

Assistant Managing Editor

[email protected]

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

National Interest
Remains Of Man Missing Since 2004 Pulled From Mansfield Lake Remains Of Man Missing Since 2004 Pulled From Mansfield Lake
Remains Of Man Missing Since 2004 Pulled From Mansfield Lake Connecticut detectives, working with a state anthropologist, have identified the remains of a man found in a lake last month as a man who went missing in 2004, authorities said.  Connecticut State Police were called to Mansfield Hollow Lake on Oct. 5 after someone spotted human remains floating on the surface.  After a month of investigation and DNA testing, police have identified those remains as Robert Cavanaugh, who had been missing since Christmas Eve 2004. Police said they believe he left a suicide note at his home before leaving.  He was 51 when he disappeared.&nb…

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by Josh Lanier
Branford, CT
Breaking News
CT Man Accused Of Sexual Assaulting, Strangling 13-Year-Old: 'I Thought I Was Going To Die' CT Man Accused Of Sexual Assaulting, Strangling 13-Year-Old: 'I Thought I Was Going To Die'
CT Man Accused Of Sexual Assaulting, Strangling 13-Year-Old: 'I Thought I Was Going To Die' A 20-year-old Connecticut man is facing a litany of charges after a 13-year-old girl told investigators he violently sexually assaulted her in his car after they met on Snapchat, authorities said.  Rio Vulinovic was 18 at the time of the alleged assault, but he reportedly told the girl he was 16, Connecticut State Police said.  Troopers began investigating the incident after the 13-year-old told a guardian in April 2024 that she feared she was pregnant. She wasn't, but the guardian contacted the police.  The girl told investigators that she snuck out of her home to meet up w…

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by Josh Lanier
New Canaan, CT
Obituaries
Teen, 16, Dies After Route 15 Moped Crash In New Canaan: 'Smile Could Brighten Any Room' Teen, 16, Dies After Route 15 Moped Crash In New Canaan: 'Smile Could Brighten Any Room'
Teen, 16, Dies After Route 15 Moped Crash In New Canaan: 'Smile Could Brighten Any Room' A 16-year-old Connecticut girl who was thrown from a moped in a serious Merritt Parkway crash in New Canaan has died from her injuries, police said. Janese Mabel Espinoza, of New Haven, was a passenger on a moped that lost control near Exit 13 on Monday, Nov. 10, authorities said. A 17-year-old boy was driving the scooter. It's unclear why he lost control of the vehicle. Paramedics initially took Espinoza to Norwalk Hospital, but doctors later transferred her to Yale New Haven Hospital because of the extent of her injuries. She died on Tuesday. Espinoza was a senior at Wilbur Cross High Sc…

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by Josh Lanier
Gardner, MA
Breaking News
Gardner Father Beaten to Death With Pipe; Former Neighbor Convicted Of Murder Gardner Father Beaten to Death With Pipe; Former Neighbor Convicted Of Murder
Gardner Father Beaten to Death With Pipe; Former Neighbor Convicted Of Murder A jury has found a 40-year-old Worcester County man guilty of beating a 56-year-old Gardner father to death with a pipe, authorities announced. Matthew J. Vanier, 40, was convicted after prosecutors said he attacked Randy S. Vaillancourt inside Vaillancourt's Nicholas Street home in 2017, the Worcester County District Attorney's Office said. He faces a mandatory life sentence with no chance of parole when he's sentenced on Dec. 2, 2025. Authorities have alleged that Vanier, a drug-addicted former neighbor of Vaillancourt, robbed and beat him to death with a metal pipe two nights earlier, be…

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by Josh Lanier
Middletown, CT
Your Community
Middletown Superintendent’s DUI Arrest Prompts School Board Special Session Middletown Superintendent’s DUI Arrest Prompts School Board Special Session
Middletown Superintendent’s DUI Arrest Prompts School Board Special Session A Connecticut school superintendent was placed on administrative leave after it came to light that he had been arrested over the summer for allegedly driving while intoxicated, reports said.  Superintendent Alberto Vázquez Matos' arrest was the subject of a Middletown School Board special session on Thursday, Nov. 14. Board members discussed the matter for three hours before unanimously choosing to place him on administrative leave and transfer his responsibilities to his staff, NBC Connecticut reported.  Vázquez Matos' was arrested in Brandon, Florida, on July 29, Florida of…

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by Josh Lanier
National Interest
Gator Done: Alligator Pulled From Charles River Near Boston's Back Bay Gator Done: Alligator Pulled From Charles River Near Boston's Back Bay
Gator Done: Alligator Pulled From Charles River Near Boston's Back Bay Anyone who's been on the Charles River on a winter morning can attest to the biting cold, but recently, someone found something that can actually take a bite out of you for real: an alligator. Rowers, runners, and visitors to the Charles River in Boston's Back Bay had been reporting sightings of the little alligator for about a week, but it wasn't until Wednesday, Nov. 12, that someone finally bagged it.  Animal educator Joseph Kenney, of Joe's Crazzy Critters, braved the elements — and the gator’s teeth — to capture the critter. Joseph Kenney, of Joe's Crazzy Critters, holds t…

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by Josh Lanier
Waterbury, CT
Breaking News
Pregnant Dog Found Abandoned, Tied To Waterbury Sign Loses Puppies; $5K Reward Offered Pregnant Dog Found Abandoned, Tied To Waterbury Sign Loses Puppies; $5K Reward Offered
Pregnant Dog Found Abandoned, Tied To Waterbury Sign Loses Puppies; $5K Reward Offered A pregnant dog in active labor was abandoned and found tied to a street sign in Waterbury. Now, police and animal advocates are asking the public to help find who did it. Waterbury police received a call around 8:12 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 9, to report a dog tied to a sign near Cherry Street. Officers found a pregnant pit bull struggling through labor, according to police. Police said “BARC CT, a nonprofit animal rescue, took custody of the pit bull and provided her emergency treatment, but none of her puppies survived.” The dog is now staying in a private foster home. Police said she is recover…

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by Josh Lanier
Bridgeport, CT
On Your Side
Bridgeport’s Trailblazing Feminist Café And Bookstore To Close After Nearly 50 Years Bridgeport’s Trailblazing Feminist Café And Bookstore To Close After Nearly 50 Years
Bridgeport’s Trailblazing Feminist Café And Bookstore To Close After Nearly 50 Years Bloodroot, the beloved Bridgeport feminist bookstore and vegetarian restaurant, opened in 1977 as a place for women to gather and discuss their lives and the topics of the day. Now, nearly 50 years later, the owners are saying goodbye. The longtime Ferris Street restaurant posted on Facebook that it will close on Dec. 21. The owners chose that date for its special meaning: a time for growth. "We’ve chosen December 21st because it is the day of the Winter Solstice (which means sun standing still) and heralds the beginning of the return of the light," the restaurant said in the post. "Th…

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by Josh Lanier
Middletown, CT
On Your Side
NoRa Cupcake Company Named CT’s Sweetest Standout In US Top Bakery Rankings NoRa Cupcake Company Named CT’s Sweetest Standout In US Top Bakery Rankings
NoRa Cupcake Company Named CT’s Sweetest Standout In US Top Bakery Rankings NoRa Cupcake Company didn’t just rise to the top of the state's bakery mountain — it frosted the competition with more than 300 flavors and a loyal Connecticut fan base that swears there’s magic in every bite. The TakeOut recently named the Middletown bakery one of the 50 best in the country and the top in the Nutmeg State.   NoRa earned praise for its bold flavors and creative style. Local fans know the shop well. Many say the honor feels overdue. View this post on Instagram The ranking pointed to bakeries that show “inventive and …

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by Josh Lanier
Bristol, CT
Obituaries
Police ID Bristol Grandmother Killed After Being Pinned Beneath Car: 'Adored Her Grandchildren' Police ID Bristol Grandmother Killed After Being Pinned Beneath Car: 'Adored Her Grandchildren'
Police ID Bristol Grandmother Killed After Being Pinned Beneath Car: 'Adored Her Grandchildren' Police have identified the 69-year-old Connecticut woman who died after neighbors found her trapped beneath her car in her driveway. Debra Martin, 69, was found just before 9 p.m. Sunday beneath her car at her Rockwell Avenue home in Bristol. Emergency crews tried to help her, but they pronounced her dead at the scene, according to Bristol police. Martin was a mother of three adult children and a grandmother, according to her obituary. She was remembered as a doting grandmother who kept busy with her many hobbies and activities. Deb was a vivacious, loving, and devoted mother who absolute…

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by Josh Lanier
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