Wines' Family, Friends Reflect On Loss At Emotional Hearing

By: Andrew Porter

Posted: 1/24/08

ROCKVILLE - When Stephen Wines introduced himself at Rockville Superior Court on Wednesday, he said he had come to speak, not as a grieving father who had come to seek vengeance or revenge, but rather as a citizen who desired justice for society.

"We have the opportunity facing us today to send a message that society will no longer tolerate a death followed by a flee, especially when there is alcohol involved," he said.

After an emotional hearing, which ended with Anthony P. Alvino - the driver of the car that struck and killed Wines' daughter Carlee - being sentenced to 37 months in prison. Wines said that although he wasn't 100 percent satisfied, he was able to accept the judge's ruling.

Wines repeatedly thanked the UConn Police, the state attorney's office and the state of Connecticut.

He also expressed his gratitude for the support the Wines family received from UConn students.

"I'd like to thank the students of UConn for opening their arms for Carlee," he said. "Carlee will always be a Husky."

The hearing was an emotional scene, often punctuated by moments where nearly every member of the gallery that had come to support the Wines family was either choking back tears or openly weeping.

"I was supposed to grow old with my best friend," said Jennifer Ladger. "Such a beautiful and precious life was taken from this world … I'm only half the person I was."

Wines said that Ladger was speaking from the heart and that he truly believed Ladger and Carlee would have stayed friends for life, raising children together and staying close.

"They would have grown old together," he said. "Definitely."

Wines added that all three of Carlee's friends who spoke at the hearing, Ladger, Corey Schwitz and Taryn Munolie were truly his daughter's best friends.

"So much joy that used to be in our lives will never come back," said Schwitz, Carlee's boyfriend. "I will always keep Carlee close to me, but it was not meant to be like this."

Schwitz, who is roughly the same age as Alvino, said he couldn't understand how Alvino could be portrayed as being unsure about what to do after the incident. He said he had no doubt that if he found himself in a situation similar to Alvino's, he would certainly stop and couldn't comprehend not doing so.

Wines said that stuck with him, especially in contrast to the Alvino's defense.

"Every bit [of the defense] put blame on someone else," he said, something he deemed, "unacceptable."

The defense, which acknowledged that Alvino made a mistake by fleeing the scene, repeatedly argued that his actions after that were so influenced by others - notably his parents, that he shouldn't be held fully responsible for not turning himself in immediately.

At one point, the defense read a letter to the court from Alvino's 8-year-old sister, describing her brother as her best friend and saying how much she would miss him if he was sent to jail.

According to Wines, his oldest son Shaughn was upset by the letter, leaning over to his father to say that although Alvino may not see his sister for a few years, Shaughn would never be able to see his sister again.

Wines said that he felt the apology Alvino gave to the Wines family - his first public apology - was sincere insofar as Alvino sincerely regretting the incident and how he handled it. But at the same time, Wines said that he felt Alvino did not severely regret the loss of life, but rather, only the fact that he was going to jail.

Overall, Wines said that the day was able to bring him some closure and relief that this particular case has ended. Although Alvino's parents still face charges in New York, he now knows that the driver of the car that killed his daughter is going to jail.

"There is relief that this phase is done," he said.

Contact Andrew Porter at Andrew.Porter@UConn.edu.