Brian Fanion: Massachusetts detective searches gunshot residue testing website 11 days before wife's murder

Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.

RUSSELL, MASSACHUSETTS: Brian Fanion, a respected Massachusetts detective, saw his life take a chilling turn when the alleged suicide of his wife, Amy Fanion, morphed into a murder investigation in Westfield, Massachusetts, on May 8, 2018. Investigators found Amy dead on her dining room floor from a gunshot wound to her head, with her husband's service gun.

Puzzlingly, there was no gunshot residue on her head, a rarity in self-inflicted gunshot wounds, leaving police baffled about the events in the dining room. The investigation is scrutinized by '48 Hours' contributor Nikki Battiste in 'The Detective's Wife', airing Saturday, May 4 at 10/9c on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.

Let's take a look at the backstory

Fanion, a Westfield Police detective became the prime suspect in the murder investigation of his wife, Amy. He reported her death as a suicide, but evidence found at the scene led investigators to question the circumstances surrounding her demise.

Detective Brendan O'Toole escorted Fanion to the State Police barracks in Russell, Massachusetts, to provide his account of the events leading to his wife's unexpected demise. As the investigation unfolded, a trail of digital breadcrumbs painted a disturbing picture of Fanion's state of mind leading up to the tragedy. 

Following the interview, O'Toole requested Fanion to surrender his phone for data extraction. While complying with the request, The suspect prefaced with a cautionary statement. "I turned off the recorder and that's when Brian told me ... 'you're going to see some things on there and it's not what it appears to be,'" recounted O'Toole, reported CBS.

Brian Fanion's disturbing web of digital trails

Deleted text messages between Fanion and a woman named Corrine Knowles hinted at a clandestine affair, casting a shadow of suspicion over his actions. Moreover, internet search history revealed a chilling progression, from inquiries about household poisons to divorce laws, infidelity and research on gunshot residue testing, a stark departure from his professional responsibilities.

On May 17, just three days following Amy's wake, Detectives O'Toole and Mike Blanchette directly addressed Fanion regarding his association with Knowles and the absence of gunshot residue on Amy's wound. "I mean, there's no doubt she was shot... but the question is, from what distance," O'Toole queried Fanion.

How was Brian Fanion caught?

Seizing all of Fanion's electronics, including his office computer and laptop, Detective Tom Forest from the Cyber Crime Unit conducted an examination of the hard drive. This online behavior started approximately three months before Amy's demise, coinciding with the period when his relationship with Knowles began to take on flirtatious undertones.

 "… it's only when this affair starts up … that all of these incriminating searches start to appear," Hampden County Assistant District Attorney Mary Sandstrom said. The initial inquiries centered around topics such as common household poisons.

On the morning of February 12, Fanion conducted searches on "household poisons," "dangerous sources of radiation," "worst sources of radiation," and "common prescription overdoses." Additionally, he visited web pages titled "9 Surprising Sources of Radiation in Your Home," "Carbon Monoxide: The Invisible Killer," "Common and dangerous poisons," "16 Common Household Items That Could Kill You," "What Over-the-Counter Medications Can You Overdose From?," "Which Drug Causes the Most Deaths Each Year?," and finally, "Prescription Drugs Linked to Most Fatal Overdoses."

As Fanion's affair with his mistress intensified, his actions began to reflect his growing discontent with his marriage. On April 17, he delved into researching divorce laws in Massachusetts, focusing on aspects like pension rights post-divorce. Aware of the potential financial implications, Fanion, who was contemplating retirement, feared the loss of a portion of his pension if he were to dissolve his marriage.

The very next day, he resumed his exploration of infidelity-related topics, browsing web pages titled "My perfect affair – how I'm getting away with it" and "Emotional Infidelity: Worse Than A Sexual Affair?"

What did Brian Fanion’s defense say? 

Eleven days before the tragic death of Amy, on April 27, Fanion conducted a search for "gsr testing" on his work computer. During the morning of April 27, between 9.22 and 9.38 am, he visited five web pages related to gunshot residue, including "Gunshot Residue Collection: The Decisions that Make or Break a Case" and a news report on YouTube titled "What gunshot residue tests tell us."

However, Sandstrom asserted that this was unrelated to Fanion's duties at the Westfield Police Department, stating that he was not involved in any active investigations during April and May of 2018 that would necessitate such research, Fanion's interest in gunshot residue testing remained a point of intrigue in the investigation. "Nobody in the Westfield Police Department does gunshot residue testing," said Sandstrom.

Despite mounting evidence against him, Fanion's defense team presented arguments aimed at casting doubt on the prosecution's case. They attempted to portray Amy as a troubled individual with a history of mental health issues, while questioning the validity of the digital evidence presented by the prosecution.

Furthermore, on the morning of May 8, 2018, Fanion was still at work, he searched for "Massachusetts medical examiner offices" and visited a website detailing the units within the Massachusetts State Police forensics section.

Sandstrom asserted that Fanion's actions that morning indicated premeditation of his wife's murder. "He's looking up and researching the units that will appear … after he's committed this murder. … the evidence in this case proves beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant knew he was going to murder Amy Fanion when he left the Westfield Police Department at 11:47 a.m. on May 8th."

The trial of Fanion for the murder of Amy commenced on February 23, 2023. Following a month-long trial, the jury rendered a verdict of guilty for Fanion on the charge of first-degree murder of Amy. Subsequently, he was sentenced to life in prison. His conviction is presently under appeal.