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Trumbull prosecutor opposes parole for Warren murderer
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Monday
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Watkins
By Ed Runyan
WARREN
The Trumbull County Prosecutor’s Office is opposing parole for Mitchell Monday, 40, who was sentenced to 191/2 years to life in prison for killing Mark Dixon in January 1995 and later setting a fire in the Trumbull County jail.
Monday has served close to 20 years and is due for a parole hearing next month. He was denied parole in 2009, when he was eligible the first time.
Monday was 20 and Dixon was 29 at the time Monday shot Dixon at “point-blank range” in Monday’s Pearl Street home, Trumbull County Prosecutor Dennis Watkins said.
Dixon, who lived on Oak Street, had come to Monday’s home for a party, and the two men were “playing around like they were going to hit each other,” according to an affidavit written by then-Capt. Joseph Consiglio of the Weathersfield Police Department.
Monday later told police he pulled a gun from his rear pants pocket. “I pointed this gun at him and then brought it down. I then started playing with the hammer, pulling it back and forth in which the gun in front of my chest, and then the gun went off,” he said.
Others came into the room after that, but no one called for an ambulance, the affidavit said.
Monday said he loaded Dixon into Dixon’s van, and TaKarla Bennett, 18, of Warren, drove it to a location on Salt Springs Road in Weathersfield Township, where Bennett shot Dixon several more times to “finish the job” because he was still talking as she drove him from Warren to Weathersfield, a witness said.
A coroner’s report said Dixon would not have survived the initial gunshot wound even though it did not kill him immediately.
Another woman and Monday’s sister followed in another car. Monday stayed at home because he was on electronically monitored house arrest for another offense, according to documents in the case.
Monday was awaiting trial in Dixon’s murder when he set a mattress and other items from his cell on fire. He was convicted of aggravated arson in that matter.
Watkins wrote a letter to the parole board, saying Monday’s record of violations in prison is long, including one in January of this year.
“With Monday’s bad behavioral and criminal history, heaven help us once he’s back on the street,” Watkins said in the letter. “In our view, he should not be returned to society for at least 25 more years,” Watkins said.
Bennett was sentenced to 13 to 25 years in prison and was released in February 2011.