The Murdered Carmen “CJ” DeLuca

The Murdered 
Carmen “CJ” DeLuca
East Windsor, Connecticut

🔎Carmen J. DeLuca Cold Case (1985) 🕊️

On September 12, 1985, 23 year old gas station manager Carmen “CJ” DeLuca was found fatally shot inside a temporary office trailer at the Gas & Save on Bridge Street in East Windsor, Connecticut. Police determined the killing happened during a robbery, but no witnesses ever came forward. Just three hours later, a clerk in Orange, CT, was shot and wounded during another robbery, and forensic testing showed the same gun was used in both crimes. The Orange victim described the suspect as a very slender Black male, 5’8”–6’0”, 18–25 years old, last seen getting into a silver Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham.

CJ’s fiancée, Deana Prest, who had planned to keep him company that night, awoke to a troubling phone call from police and rushed to the station, where she learned he had been killed. The loss shattered her life, and only years later did she find the emotional strength to pursue answers. Her renewed involvement uncovered old investigative records, a confidential informant who had implicated two men, and multiple leads that ultimately stalled without enough evidence for an arrest. One of the named suspects died in 1994; the other denied involvement when re-interviewed in 2022.

Decades later, Deana continues pushing for justice, urging investigators to keep the case alive despite lost records, dead suspects, and exhausted leads. Police agencies, including East Windsor PD, the Connecticut State Police Major Crime Unit, and the Cold Case Unit, still hope someone will come forward with the information needed to finally solve CJ’s murder.

Anyone with information is urged to contact:
📞 East Windsor Police Detective Division: 860-292-8240
📞 CT Cold Case Unit Tip Line: 860-548-0606 or 1-866-623-8058

Your tip could help bring long-awaited justice. ✨
Sources:
https://portal.ct.gov/dcj/knowledge-base/articles/cold-cases/open-cold-cases-and-rewards?language=en_US
https://www.yahoo.com/news/woman-seeks-justice-fianc-shot-210700915.html
https://savagewatch.com/2019/03/18/are-there-more-victims-from-a-dangerous-robber/
https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/bnmb50/carmen_deluca_was_murdered_in_an_attempted/
https://www.facebook.com/TheDeckPodcast/posts/gas-station-attendant-carmen-deluca-was-just-23-years-old-and-recently-engaged-w/1027272982944357/
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/69742462/carmen_j-deluca
https://gunmemorial.org/1985/09/12/carmen-j-cj-deluca-iii