Stewart's Condition May Be Improving

Just three days after sustaining trauma to the head and body, William Stewart may be making a turn toward recovery. On Monday, Stewart’s nephew who lives in Florida commented on Branford Patch, “We are starting to hear encouraging things from the hospital.” However, today, Branford Police Captain Kevin Halloran reported that Stewart’s condition was still serious as of this morning.

For the most part, the police and family of Stewart are still in the dark regarding a motive for the assault on the 58-year-old former Branford Police officer.

At , Branford Police responded to a 911 call and arrived a 6 Patrick Lane to find Stewart had been beaten with a blunt object– reports state the object was a baseball bat– and sustained serious wounds to the head and body. Neil V. Amendola, 36, of 6 Patrick Lane was arrested for first degree assault in conjunction with the incident.

Other than knowing that Stewart had arrived at the Amendola residence on Saturday to fix a garage door, which was half-open and bent following the alleged assault, Police are unsure of a motive. “We’re all in the dark now,” said Halloran this afternoon.

What is known, is that the Stewarts and Amendolas were family friends according to Ryan Stewart, William’s son, though he states that he did not know Amendola well.

According to police, Amendola is retaining council and they are working with one person who was a witness at the scene but have no information at this point.

“He [Amendola],” said Halloran, “is not talking and the victim’s not able to speak.”

At the scene of the incident, Branford Patch asked several neighbors if they had seen anything but no one was willing to comment.

On Sunday at 12:58 a.m., Amendola was arrested again by Branford Police for interfering with an officer. Halloran states that Amendola was in need of medical attention (specifics not available) and when police and firefighters tried to transport him from his cell, he began fighting with officers. He was treated at Yale-New Haven Hospital, brought back to Branford and then to New Haven Superior Court yesterday morning.