Former Westfield police officer charged in wife's murder

WESTFIELD, Mass. — A former Westfield police officer has been charged for the 2018 murder of his wife.

On Thursday, 55-year-old Brian Fanion was arraigned in Hampden Superior Court on one count of first-degree murder for the shooting death of his wife, 51-year-old Amy J. Fanion.

On May 8, 2018, Fanion called 911 to report his wife had shot herself with his gun. Amy was declared dead on scene.

Fanion told police he had been on-duty but had come home from lunch when his wife used his service weapon to kill herself.

An autopsy performed the next day found Amy died from a gunshot wound, but the manner of death was left undetermined pending additional analysis.

During the investigation, a search warrant for Fanion's home seized various digital evidence items, including computers, tablets, and cellular devices. Forensic analysis of the evidence collected found incriminating evidence against Fanion.

On Nov. 6, 2019, following a months-long investigation, a grand jury issued an indictment against Fanion for the murder of his wife. He was then arrested shortly after at his home.

Fanion was held without bail following his arraignment. He is scheduled to go back to court on Jan. 9, 2020.

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Cox Media Group