Newspaper Vice President Found Dead in Middlebury Home

Connecticut State Police are investigating the untimely death of a Middlebury man who they say was found dead in his home Wednesday evening, Nov. 7.

According to a report from Middlebury police, the deceased was identified as Andrew Pape, 46.

Pape, a vice president and operations director of the Republican-American newspaper, was found in his 55 South St. residence shortly after 8 p.m. on Nov. 7, acccording to Middlebury Police Acting Chief Richard Wildman. Pape's body was found on the floor of an upstairs bathroom, with a handgun in the vicinity of the body, police said. The report states that no foul play is suspected.

Anytime police encounter a death where a handgun is involved, they rely on the expertise of the Connecticut State Police Western District Major Crime Squad for crime scene processing, Wildman said.

The Connecticut State Police Western District Major Crime responded and processed the scene. State police offered no new information on the case on Friday.

An autopsy is scheduled for today, Nov. 9. As of 11:28 a.m., the autopsy had not yet been conducted, according to the state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

In addition to his role at the Republican-American, the newspaper reports that Pape was general manager of the Citizen's News in Naugatuck, the Heritage Villager in Southbury and Southington-based Step Savers, Inc., which is the publisher of The Southington Observer, The Bristol Observer, The Plainville Observer and a weekly shopping publication.