Outrage Over Child's Slaying

When Leroy Brown Jr. became a key witness in a murder case at age 7, his mother was asked if she wanted police to guard their home. Karen Clarke declined.

Still fearing for her safety, authorities asked whether Clarke, 30, and her son needed help in relocating.

Again, Clarke said no, intent on staying put.

On Monday, another question was being asked: Why wasn't more done to protect mother and son, both of whom were found gunned down inside their unguarded home?

"This was a failure of the entire system. The system broke down and as a result of that we have a dead child and a dead mother," said Chris Caruso, a state lawmaker from Bridgeport who was interviewed Tuesday on CBS This Morning .

While Gov. John Rowland is calling for an investigation by the state's attorney office, Caruso is insisting that an independent probe be conducted, claiming the state's attorney should have done more to protect the boy.

Leroy, who was 8, was shot in the head and back and his mother was shot twice in the back. Police believe the killings happened Thursday as the pair were returning home from an errand.

Although police released no details on a motive or suspect, they were seeking to question Russell Peeler, 26, who is charged with murder in the May 29 death of Clarke's fiance, Rudolph Snead Jr.

At the time of Snead's murder, Peeler was free on bond after being accused of attempting to murder Snead months earlier in a drive-by shooting. He is free now on $900,000 bond.

The boy had been in the backseat of Snead's car during the original shooting and identified Peeler as the triggerman, prosecutor Jonathan Benedict said Monday.

Peeler's attorney, Gary Mastronardi, did not return telephone calls Monday. He has said that Peeler wears an electronic monitoring device and was at his home when Leroy and his mother were killed.

Mastronardi said neither he nor his client knew where the boy and his mother were living.

Rep. Caruso said the judge in the case gave information about the child to the defense attorney. "The prosecutor protested, but the judge ordered that the information be given to the defense attorney, probably under some requirements of legal procedure," he said.

He said the judge or the prosecutors should have made sure the family had protection or at least made various state agencies responsible for the boy's safety.

These two deaths, Caruso said, could have a chilling effect on future witnesses.

"I don't know how many people would want to place their lives in jeopardy carrying out a civic responsibility if they're not going to be protected by the state," he said.

Following Snead's death, police said the family had briefly received protection in July. But it was canceled at the request of Clarke, who found it intrusive.

Chief State's Attorney John Bailey said the state has a witness protection program that helps with movig expenses.

But Clarke, who had moved once while the case was pending, declined to move again.

"She did not want to move out of her house," Bailey said.