CHICAGO – A 23-year-old woman was beaten to death in her home in December because a cable company allowed a repairman to continue making service calls even though he was suspected in an earlier slaying, a lawsuit alleges.
Grzegorz Magiera’s wrongful death complaint says Comcast Corp. took no action when informed that Anthony Triplett was suspected in the death of a customer in October.
Triplett, who was employed by a Comcast subcontractor, is accused of raping and killing Magiera’s fiancee, Urszula Sakowska, during a service call to the couple’s home Dec. 8. He is also charged in the death of Janice Ordidge, 39, who was found in her home Oct. 23, two days after Triplett allegedly had a call there.
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Cook County Circuit Court, names Philadelphia-based Comcast, Triplett and the subcontractor.
“It should not have happened,” the 29-year-old Magiera said. “Comcast should have been more careful about its workers.”
Triplett has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, sexual assault, robbery and burglary, and is being held without bond.
The lawsuit alleges detectives investigating Ordidge’s death questioned Triplett and took fingerprints and a DNA sample Oct. 27, and then notified Comcast that Triplett was a suspect.
Comcast spokesman Rich Ruggiero said the company was cooperating with authorities, but couldn’t comment further. “We remain saddened by this tragic event,” the statement said.
Magiera, a truck driver, said he and Sakowska met in Poland and were engaged four years ago, around the time they moved to Chicago. They hoped to get married this year, he said.
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