Mayor Bass on the Future of New Milford’s Wrongful Murder Conviction Case

A dark chapter is coming to a close for two men who were wrongfully convicted of murder in New Milford in 1989. However, a recent judgment in their favor could have lasting effects on the town for years to come.

According to NBC CT:

A jury of eight men awarded $5.7 million to Ricky Birch, who spent nearly 30 years in prison for a murder he didn’t commit. The civil trial marks the end of Birch’s lawsuit against the Town of New Milford and two former police detectives.

New Milford Mayor Pete Bass joined us on the Friday (3/21/25) edition of the I-95 Morning Show to discuss the matter.

Lou: You were on social media the last couple days trying to explain to the folks of New Milford, like hey we're going to try and figure out how to pay for this, I'm going to talk to the lawyers, what's going on with all of this? 

Mayor: "Currently, there is a 24-day period during which an appeal can be made. We are waiting to see what the litigant will do—whether they decide to accept the awarded funds or appeal the verdict. We are also considering all options, so for now, the case is still technically being litigated until the appeals process expires in about 24 days."

Lou: The nuts and bolts, let's say worst case scenario the appeals process finishes and the town has to cough up this money, what happens? Is there a reservoir of money to pull from to pay this man? 

Mayor: "Basically, we are reviewing all of our options and resources to determine what will be best for the taxpayers. We understand that, given the current economic climate, everyone is concerned—high grocery prices and skyrocketing electricity costs. Our goal is to do everything we can to minimize the impact this settlement may have on our taxpayers, especially in this municipal year."

Lou: On the human side of things, there are a lot of people who are still around in New Milford who were around when this murder investigation was going on back in the 80s. I would imagine there is a lot of sensitivity around this issue in the community. There was a murder that took place, these two gentleman had to spend 30 years of their life in prison for something they didn't do. What is the general human-side of this story in town? How are people feeling? 

Mayor: "I think there are many people, especially those who have been here for a long time, who remember the case and the events surrounding it. Some of our newer residents are just beginning to learn about the story and are reading up on it. Netflix also covered the story, so it's a mix of perspectives. Some people sympathize with someone who has been incarcerated for such a long time, while others are questioning the legal process. How did this happen? What were all the key factors, especially involving Dr. Lee and the State of Connecticut? They were the main drivers of the case, while we were more ancillary. One of our main concerns was understanding what rights we had compared to the state and Dr. Lee. Those two entities have complete autonomy and are above reproach, which was very concerning to us."

You can hear our entire conversation with Mayor Bass below.

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