Cole Theodore Werhan, 28, has been arrested and charged with the murder of his ex-girlfriend, 26-year-old Janina Brooke Murphy. Murphy was found at the bottom of a staircase in a Burlington, Connecticut home on March 29. The Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has since ruled her death a homicide due to blunt force injury to the head.

Connecticut State Police initially described the death as suspicious. The family learned the circumstances were more dire when a detective informed Murphy's mother, Beth Murphy, that her daughter had sustained injuries beyond a fall. "Your daughter didn't just fall down the stairs. She had wounds all over her," Beth Murphy told WBZ-TV, recounting the conversation with law enforcement. Murphy called the confirmed homicide ruling "tough" after months of uncertainty.

Werhan, who was arrested on Tuesday, is being held on a $5 million cash bond and was scheduled for arraignment in Torrington Superior Court. State police have stated that their investigation into the circumstances surrounding Murphy's death remains active. Connecticut State Police said their investigation into the circumstances surrounding Murphy’s death remains active

Neighbors reported seeing troopers escort Werhan from the Claire Hill Road residence in handcuffs on Tuesday afternoon, months after the initial discovery of Murphy's body. Investigators had returned to the property for further searches. Neighbors expressed hope that Werhan's arrest would bring answers and a step toward justice for Murphy and her family.

Court records indicate that Werhan was already facing three separate domestic violence cases involving other women. These cases, which began in November 2025, reportedly involved women Werhan met through dating apps. Allegations in those warrants include assault, unlawful restraint, threatening, and strangulation, with victims describing incidents of physical violence and fear of leaving his home. In one instance, a woman alleged Werhan had put his hands around her neck and squeezed until she could not breathe. Cole Theodore Werhan, 28, was arrested Tuesday and charged with the murder of Janina 'Brooke' Murphy, 26

Beth Murphy remembered her daughter as a gentle, creative individual with a warm personality. "So many people said she was my best friend," she told WBZ-TV. "Like, pretty much everybody said Brooke was my best friend. She had a heart of gold." Beth Murphy remembered Brooke, center, as a kind, artistic young woman with a 'heart of gold,' saying so many people considered her their best friend

Murphy was set to celebrate her 27th birthday on June 17. Murphy was found at the bottom of a staircase inside the Burlington home where Werhan lived