MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) – Authorities say have identified a man and woman who were shot and killed, and say the two likely knew their killer or killers.
The attorney general’s office identified the two as Christopher Squeglia and Amy Knott, both 35 and from Manchester. Autopsies showed the two were killed with a shotgun.
The bodies were found around 6 a.m. Thursday in a parking lot used by a small auto repair shop. Police say they are following up on several promising leads but have made no arrests. They say the shootings were not random.
Senior Assistant Attorney General Brian Quirk said investigators have searched a home on Brown Avenue and checked for fingerprints on a vehicle, but would not comment on any evidence found.
The Union Leader has reported that Squeglia had served time in prison for theft and was supposed to go on trial later this month for resisting arrest.
The landlord of the Brown Avenue house being examined by police said he rents the home to a single man. The landlord, who asked not to be named, told the newspaper that he did not know Squeglia.
Brandy Bisson of Concord is an aunt to Squeglia’s 6-year-old son. She said Squeglia was a good father and a wonderful chef.
“They killed him in cold blood. Someone walked up to him and this other person and just took their lives,” Bisson said. “People make mistakes, he took a wrong path, but he didn’t deserve what he got.”
She expects the killer will be caught and punished severely. “I absolutely think they will catch this person,” she said.
Bisson also said Squeglia was artistic and excellent at drawing. She said that when he was in prison, he would draw cartoon characters and write greetings on homemade Christmas and Easter cards and send them to his son. Bisson said Squeglia managed to stay off drugs for long stretches then would fall back with his old friends and into his old lifestyle.
When he was straight, she said, he was a great person.
“It wasn’t easy for him to get out of that loop. He used to say, ‘I know that I’ve got to stay straight, if not for myself, for my son.’ He would get caught up in it and it would pull him back,” she said.
Bisson said when Squeglia’s life was on an even keel he worked variously in landscaping, roofing, driving a delivery truck and working for a sand and gravel company.
Squeglia’s friend, Concord resident Tim Stone, said Squeglia lived in his home off and on until about three years ago. They’ve known each other for about 11 years, and the last time they were together was over a month ago.
Stone said he was trying to help Squeglia conquer his addictions. But whenever Squeglia would slip back into his old lifestyle, he would respect Stone enough to leave without being asked.
“He did well while he lived here. Chris was a real good guy, a real good friend. No matter what he did he never brought it home,” Stone said. “He would get into that lifestyle here and he would respect me enough to move so I wouldn’t have to ask him.”
AP-ES-04-19-03 1603EDT
Send questions/comments to the editors.
