Connecticut woman, 76, admits to killing husband, hiding his body, and collecting paychecks

Tuesday, March 12, 2024 – A 76-year-old Connecticut woman has pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter six years after being accused of murdering her husband and stealing his paychecks.

Linda Kosuda-Bigazzi pled guilty on Monday, March 11, after being arrested in February 2018 over the death of her husband Dr. Pierluigi Bigazzi, 84, Hartford Judicial District State’s Attorney Sharmese L. Walcott announced in a press release.

The wife of the University of Connecticut professor was initially charged with murder after her husband was found dead by police at their Burlington home during a visit on Feb. 5, 2018.

Police suspected Dr. Bigazzi's body was stored in the basement of the couple's home for months,

According to the release, “police discovered the body while responding to a call for a welfare check at the home from the victim’s employer who had not heard from the victim for several months.”

The victim is believed to have died sometime in July 2017. A medical examiner previously determined the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head.

“An investigation showed paychecks from the victim’s employer continued to be deposited into the couple’s joint checking account from the time of his death, which authorities believe to be sometime in July 2017, until his body was discovered in early February 2018,” the release continued.

Kosuda-Bigazzi pled guilty to a charge of manslaughter in the first degree and larceny in the first degree.

Her sentencing is scheduled for June 28 in Hartford Superior Court.

“This case has been pending for six years so we are thankful we were able to reach a resolution today,” Walcott said in the release following the plea.

In February 2018, Kosuda-Bigazzi was charged with one count of murder and one count of tampering with physical evidence, according to online court records. After posting $1.5 million bail, she was put under house arrest and the affidavit in support of the arrest warrant was sealed by order of the court.

“We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of our longtime faculty member Dr. Pierluigi Bigazzi, professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at UConn School of Medicine,” UConn Health said in a statement in 2018 obtained by the Hartford Courant newspaper.

“After being unable to reach Bigazzi, concerned departmental leadership contacted UConn Police who visited his home. UConn Police immediately contacted the local police department who is investigating the death in collaboration with the State Police.”