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A woman is shot in the face on a rural Connecticut highway.  Police sketch of suspect Suspect: Gender: Male CASE DETAILS  The man shot at her from just a few feet away On August 22, 1988, a woman we’ll call Carol, was headed to work along a quiet, two-lane highway near the town of Putnam, Connecticut. Carol worked as a social worker at a local hospital, where she counseled depressed and mentally ill patients. This particular morning, Carol was running thirty minutes late:
As Carol followed the pick up, it began to behave in a bizarre fashion. The pick up began to swerve and speed up and slow down erratically. Carol began to sense that something was clearly wrong:
 The bullet hit just below her eye Carol was shot in the face at point blank range. Because she was slumped across the front seat, she was out of view of the other drivers. A few minutes elapsed before a utility serviceman drove by. From his elevated cab, he could see into Carol’s car. He immediately called for help. EMTs knew they were racing against the clock–Carol had already lost two pints of blood. Carol was barely alive when she reached the emergency room. The bullet had torn through her face about two inches before her left eye. Her carotid artery had been severed, paralyzing her left vocal chord. Detective Michael Foley of the Connecticut State Police later determined that the assailant was just ten feet away when he pulled the trigger:
 He left her for dead and drove away Two drivers told Detective Foley that, in the hour before the shooting, a black pick up truck had pulled on and off the highway repeatedly, taunting other motorists:
Three months later, Carol’s condition had improved dramatically. But she was left with a grim physical reminder of the incident. The bullet that pierced Carol’s cheek is still lodged in the back of her neck:
The shooting took place near Putnam, Connecticut, on Brayman Hollow Road. The suspect is a white male, 5’10”. He has a medium build and brown curly hair. He was driving a well-maintained black step-side pick up truck. It had flared fenders, standard width blackwall tires and shiny plain wheel covers. Watch this case now on Amazon Prime in season two with Robert Stack and season eight with Dennis Farina. Also available on YouTube with Dennis Farina. Various seasons available now on Hulu. SUBMIT A TIP |
Ernest
This Case Will Be Solved All Y’all Have To Do Is Turn This Person In We Have A Name Ray Choquette If He Confessed To Want He Did This Case Will Close But We Need To Find That Truck And You’ll Have Him In Custody Problem Solved.
Thomas
What is sad is that the woman didn’t immediately stop her car, turn around and speed away when she saw this man driving erratically and jerking her around. That is what a driver should always do in such a situation. The moment she saw him behaving in an odd way, turn around and get the heck out of there.
Mary
If she ever has the bullet removed then it’ll give the police something else to compare with the owners of the truck. It would narrow the list down. If they had the caliber of bullet then they can check which truck owners owned that caliber during that time.
Kenneth colbirn
Ray choquette of south killingly CT fits the description and has told family my embers he was one who pulled a trigger on lady partly paralyzed in Putnam
Kenneth colbirn
Ray choquette of south killingly CT lives on Providence Pike Rd has told people he was the perpetrator
David
I have to ask if they ever do find this person can he still be charged or is there a statue of limitations that would have run out?
Anonymous
Between 1988 – 1991, I was traveling I-495 beltway, heading North, in Maryland. It was night and I was in the “fast lane”, next to the concrete barriers. All of a sudden, and for absolutely no reason, a black truck (similar to the description in this story) swerved at my vehicle, causing it to spin and face oncoming traffic, spin again, heading towards the barrier. Somehow, in the light from oncoming headlights (& from behind) I could see the man turned towards me, laughing. (He did look similar to the composite sketch, possibly even good – looking.) I was fortunate that my car didn’t crash but, was so busy steering that I couldn’t see the tags on the truck and he was speeding away. This location was somewhere between Greenbelt Road exit and the Baltimore – Washington Parkway exit. Every time I’ve seen this episode, I’ve intended to respond but it’s only now that I’m retired that I’ve been able. Maybe this guy is the same one, with connections here or nearby (Virginia, D. C.).
Shelly Scott
My ex husband talk a lot about this case. He keeps saying that is his father that done that. It really does looks a lot like his father back than anyways.
unsolved
Hi Shelly – can you please email us at unsolved@unsolved.com? We would like to learn more about this – thank you.
Anonymous
I’m from Ct. Has there been any kind of update to this case? I had seen the episode a few years ago and learned of it.
unsolved
Unfortunately this case is still unsolved.