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Susanna Leifer and Paul Leifer were arrested on a warrant charging them with permitting minors to possess alcohol, according to Shelton police.
Shelton Police Department
SHELTON — The parents whose home police say hosted a party where a fight occurred prior to the stabbing death of Fairfield Prep student James McGrath were charged Thursday with violating the state’s Liquor Control Act.
Paul Leifer, 59, and Susanna Leifer, 51, were arrested Thursday on a warrant charging them with permitting minors to possess alcohol, according to Shelton police. Susanna Leifer was also charged with second-degree reckless endangerment because, police said in a prepared statement, she "had interactions with some of the attendees" at the gathering.
The Leifers were released on promises to appear in state Superior Court in Derby April 3.
In a prepared statement Thursday, the McGraths' attorney, Michael Rosnick, said the family "is very appreciative of the continuing diligent work by the Shelton Police Department to determine all the underlying facts of this case and to hold all the responsible parties accountable."
"Connecticut has specific laws that are designed to prevent environments for underaged drinking like this one from happening," Rosnick said in the statement. "Connecticut General Statutes state that a homeowner shall not knowingly allow underaged drinking on their property. It is clear from the warrant that there is probable cause to believe that the actions of the Leifers contributed to an environment that encouraged underaged drinking which resulted in a chain of activities that led to the unfortunate death of James McGrath."
According to police, the Leifers' Lazy Brook Road home was the location of a large party of students from St. Joseph High School May 14, 2022 "where alcohol was present."
During the party there was a fight between Shelton High School students and St. Joseph students, according to arrest warrants. After the Shelton High School students left the property, a group of St. Joseph students allegedly went from the Lazy Brook Road property to another party at a Laurel Glen Drive home where the Shelton High School students had gathered, police said.
Another fight ensued at that property where Raul Valle, then a St. Joseph student, killed McGrath, a Fairfield Prep student who lived in Shelton and had attended Shelton schools, according to an arrest warrant.
Lawyer: McGrath's family will file lawsuit
At a press conference Thursday afternoon, the McGraths' attorney said the family had "mixed emotions" about the Leifers' arrest.
"Everything is still raw," Rosnick said. "They're still in tremendous pain. This doesn't bring them excitement."
The lawyer said the family plans to file a lawsuit in connection with McGrath's death "at some point in the near future," but said he couldn't offer more specific details yet.
"We will be pursuing litigation at the appropriate time once we've done our due diligence to discover all the facts," Rosnick said. "I don't know when that's going to take place."
He noted the family has also formed a foundation in memory of McGrath to use the attention generated by the case to effect positive change.
Valle faces charges of murder and three counts of first-degree assault, and is scheduled to appear in court April 25.
Three other teens were arrested in connection to the earlier fight on Lazy Brook Road, but have not been publicly identified because they were charged as juveniles.
Ethan.Fry@hearstmediact.com