Connecticut homicide victim remembered as mother who ‘put her children first at every turn'

Connecticut homicide victim remembered as mother who ‘put her children first at every turn'

ROCKY HILL - Jacqueline Yolanda Matthews, who was the victim of a fatal stabbing, was remembered in her obituary as a mother "who put her children first at every turn."

Rocky Hill tax assessor's records and her obituary show the 59-year-old was killed on Aug. 22 and lived on Concord Drive where police say a woman was fatally stabbed that day.

However, Rocky Hill police have not confirmed the identity of the woman who died after being stabbed at the Concord Drive condominium complex.

Rocky Hill police did not respond to a request for comment on Wednesday and Matthews' family could not be reached.

Matthews' death was due to sharp force injuries to her neck and torso and the manner of death was homicide, according to the state Office of Chief Medical Examiner. The agency does not release information about the location and date of a homicide, a representative said.

Michael Ranger, 55, faces a murder charge in the stabbing death of the woman on Concord Drive. Police in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., took Ranger into custody on Aug. 23 after a license plate reader showed the vehicle he was driving was connected with the homicide investigation in Connecticut, Rocky Hill police have said. Ranger has waived extradition and is expected to be sent back to Connecticut this month.

Rocky Hill officers responded to the Concord Drive scene around 9 p.m. Aug. 22 for a report of a female stabbing victim. Officers attempted life-saving measures, but the victim died after being transported to Hartford Hospital, police said. In addition to murder, police also charged Ranger with violation of a protective order. He was arrested in April on charges he assaulted a woman at a storage facility in Rocky Hill on March 23, police said.

Matthews, according to her obituary, "lived a life defined by devotion to her family and a generous, creative spirit."

"Above all else, Jacqueline was a mother," the obituary said. "She put her children first at every turn, often at the expense of her own needs, and the love she poured into them was the great work of her life. Becoming a grandmother brought her tremendous joy, and her newborn granddaughter held a cherished place in her heart.

"Those who knew Jacqueline remember her natural talent and flair for the arts," the obituary continued. "Whether she was helping with a project for her children or lending her creativity to community activities, she brought imagination and warmth to everything she touched. Her gifts had a way of drawing people together and brightening the spaces she was part of."

Survivors included her children, David Ceder, Corey Ceder, Ryan Matthews, Larissa Goodrich and Talor Matthews; the children's father, Glenn Matthews; and a granddaughter, Lena Goodrich, "whose arrival gave her so much happiness," according to the obituary.

"Her family will carry forward the love, creativity, and selflessness she modeled throughout her life," the obituary said.

The funeral was scheduled for Aug. 29 at Brooklawn Funeral Home in Rocky Hill and interment was to follow in Center Cemetery in Rocky Hill, the obituary said.

"In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you honor Jacqueline's memory by reaching out to a loved one and holding them close, a gesture that reflects the way she lived and the way she loved," her obituary said. "May she rest in peace, and may the memory of her devotion and warmth remain a comfort to all who knew her."

This article originally published at Connecticut homicide victim remembered as mother who 'put her children first at every turn'.