NEW LONDON — A 42-year-old Colchester man who pleaded guilty on Thursday to stabbing a prolific Norwich artist to death four years ago will be sentenced to 17 years in prison early next year.
Inside New London Superior Court, Elmar Baker reluctantly pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter in connection with the Oct. 30, 2018 death of Joseph “Jo-Jo” Kolodnicki, a 42-year-old U.S. Postal Service employee whose paintings and portraits were displayed at various venues throughout Norwich, including at the Slater Art Museum, the Norwich Arts Gallery and City Hall.
Baker entered his plea under the Alford Doctrine, which as Judge Hillary Strackbein repeatedly explained, means while a defendant might disagree with the some of the facts of the case, they are unwilling to take the proceedings to trial and risk a harsher sentence if convicted.