Harris Baker Towne III, a 43-year-old financial advisor from Newtown Connecticut, was found dead in the basement of Northwestern Stables barn on the morning of Friday, Sept 24. Police are currently investigating the cause of death, and declined to comment. Charlie King, president of the stables’ Board of Directors, said it did not appear that there had been any violence.
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Harris Baker Towne III, a 43-year-old financial advisor from Newtown Connecticut, was found dead in the basement of Northwestern Stables barn on the morning of Friday, Sept 24. Police are currently investigating the cause of death, and declined to comment.
A member of the morning barn crew found his body when she went to get a hose, which was kept in the basement, to water horses in the back paddock.
Barn staff reported the incident to police immediately, and Executive Director Jean Bochnoski informed families who use the barn last Friday.
Charlie King, president of the stables’ Board of Directors, said the basement was accessible because the doors had been damaged in a storm and couldn’t be fully closed. He also said it did not appear that there had been any violence. “They don’t know at this point whether it was a homicide or a suicide,” he said. “There was no blood or anything like that on the scene.”
Bochnowski said Friday that there does not appear to be any connection between the body and the barn.
“Bad things can happen in good places, and this was just a location. The location could have been anywhere,” said Jean Bochnowski, executive director of the stables. “This is the first time anything like this has happened here, and from what we understand, there was no connection to the stable itself or to any staff involved with the stables.”
She added that they are now in the process of improving security around the property, repairing doors and adding cameras and extra lighting.
“This is a different kind of property; it’s in a public park, and people have access 24/7,” she said. “But there are things we can do to enhance safety. And we’re trying to keep people from walking through the center barn entrance.”
According to Legacy.com, Towne lived in Ridgefield, Connecticut. He was born in nearby New Haven and raised in Newtown. He graduated from Immaculate High School in Danbury and earned his MBA from Western Connecticut State University. He served seven years in the U.S. Army National Guard. He had a wife and two children.
According to the obituary, Towne and his wife Karina were planning to take their two daughters to Disney next Spring.
