New Britain, Connecticut: Cooper Ouellette Found Guilty of Second-Degree Manslaughter in His Girlfriend's Death

A jury at New Britain Superior Court in New Britain, Connecticut found Cooper Ouellette, 21, guilty of second-degree manslaughter on Friday, November 6, for the death of his 17-year-old girlfriend in May 2023. Jurors also found Ouellette guilty of delivering alcohol to a minor. They found him not guilty of first-degree manslaughter, the most serious charge he faced.

The young woman is identified here as Sophie R. The judge overseeing the trial barred everyone involved in the case, including news outlets streaming it, from using her last name, and this report follows that order. She was from Burlington, Connecticut.

The night in May 2023

Prosecutors said Ouellette picked Sophie up from her home at about 6 p.m. on May 20, 2023, and the two went to a party with friends after stopping to buy alcohol. Witnesses at the party testified that they saw the couple arguing, and that they saw Ouellette kick Sophie and shove her into the side of his truck. When others tried to arrange a ride home for her with someone else, witnesses said Ouellette intervened, and the two left together at about 11:20 p.m.

A video Sophie recorded on her phone from inside the truck at about 11:30 p.m. was played at trial. Investigators testified that phone data and sounds on the recording pointed to the truck stopping, a door opening, and Sophie separating from the vehicle, followed by the truck accelerating and Sophie crying out. Her autopsy found that she died of blunt impact injuries to her torso. Ouellette brought her home shortly before midnight. Her mother testified that Sophie was lifeless and limp, and her parents drove her to Bristol Hospital themselves. She died in the early hours of May 21, 2023.

Two accounts at trial

The state argued that Ouellette supplied alcohol at an underage party, drove erratically, and ran Sophie over with a tire after she fell or was pushed from the truck. Prosecutors said he then put her back in the vehicle, took her home and did not call 911. In closing, State's Attorney Christian Watson told jurors that state police did not speak with Ouellette until seven hours after Sophie separated from the truck, and that Ouellette was not at the hospital while his girlfriend was being treated.

Ouellette told investigators that Sophie had jumped out of the truck to vomit while it was still moving at about 10 miles per hour. The defense called the death a tragic accident and argued that she may have jumped or fallen from the moving truck on her own. His attorney, Martin Minnella, blamed the investigation in closing. "I do blame the investigation," Minnella told jurors, asking them to take as long as they needed.

What happens next

The trial began on October 29 and lasted seven days. The defense rested on Thursday, and the jury deliberated for nearly three hours on Friday before returning its verdict. An arrest warrant for Ouellette was signed on July 5, 2024, more than a year after Sophie's death, and he turned himself in to Connecticut State Police days later. Sentencing is scheduled for January 12, 2027. Sophie's family has also named Ouellette in a civil lawsuit, FOX 61 reported.