William Bigaud

By Josh Lanier From Daily Voice

A Connecticut man will likely never breathe free air after a judge sentenced him to seven decades in prison following a jury conviction for killing the mother of his children in front of them during a home invasion, authorities announced.

William Bigaud, 42, of Cromwell, was found guilty in October of murder, home invasion, first-degree burglary, and risk of injury to a child, the Connecticut State’s Attorney's Office said. Judge Laura F. Baldini sentenced him to 70 years in prison on Monday, Dec. 8.

Judge Baldini called the killing "cruel, inhumane, and unconscionable," according to the prosecutor.

Bigaud was accused of breaking into the Middletown home of Quanisha Burruss, the mother of his two children, on June 8, 2020, and fatally stabbing her in the head and chest, police said. 

Middletown police found her body at the Green Street apartment, and neighbors reported seeing Bigaud speeding away from the area.

Police caught him two days later in LaGrange, Georgia, following a high-speed chase. Authorities returned him to Connecticut in August 2020, and he has remained in custody ever since.

Bigaud has a long history of serious legal trouble. In 2016, he was accused of murder in the Bronx and was held in prison for three years before he was eventually acquitted, the New York Daily News reported.

“I’m just grateful to the Lord, grateful that I had an understanding and educated jury that could see through the lies and manipulation of the DA," he told the newspaper after his release.

This Connecticut case ended very differently.

Quanisha Burruss is remembered for her compassion and devotion to her family.

"Nisha started a cosmetic line in honor of her mother called Tonyas' Dream," her obituary said. "She was the life of the party. She loved to sing and listen to music. She liked hanging out with friends and family. She was loved, and she will be missed."