Police in New Britain are investigating the shooting deaths of a husband and wife following a grim discovery on Roxbury Road that has left a family grieving and a community searching for answers.
New Britain Police Department officers responded to a residence in the 200 block of Roxbury Road around 8:20 a.m. on Tuesday after receiving a report of a possible suicide. Inside a bedroom, officers located 41-year-old Amanda Dark suffering from an apparent gunshot wound to the head. She was pronounced dead at the scene, and the Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner subsequently ruled her death a homicide.
The Investigation Shifts to Berlin
As detectives from the New Britain Police Department’s Detective Division worked the scene, they quickly developed information connecting the tragedy to the victim’s husband, 44-year-old John Dark. Police learned that his vehicle was parked at the Silver Lake boat launch in the neighboring town of Berlin. Responding officers found him inside the vehicle suffering from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. The state medical examiner later determined that John Dark died by suicide.
City officials confirmed that no other individuals were injured in connection with the incident, which remains under active investigation.
Court Records Reveal Prior Marital Strain
Family members, court records, and police accounts reveal that Amanda Dark was a mother to a 22-year-old son and a 20-year-old daughter, as well as a grandmother to a 2-year-old. Court documents show she had filed for divorce from her husband in September and sought a restraining order, stating she feared for her safety because he was mentally abusive and quick to anger when drinking. A judge denied that request because she did not attend the hearing.
Records indicate she had filed a similar request in 2025 that was also denied due to a missed appearance. John Dark also sought legal protection, applying for a restraining order on Oct. 2 alleging that his estranged wife was harassing him and his girlfriend, though a judge denied the request after a hearing. Court files further show that John Dark faced a pending arrest case for third-degree assault, disorderly conduct, and risk of injury to a child stemming from an alleged incident in April.
Family Mourns at Home While Police Seek Tips
In the days following the tragedy, family members gathered at the Roxbury Road home, where a circle of memorial candles surrounded a tree in the front yard and balloons decorated the front steps.
Authorities have not released additional details regarding the ongoing inquiries in New Britain and Berlin. Anyone with information that could assist investigators is asked to contact Lt. Jared Barsaleau of the New Britain Police Department at 860-826-3131.
