Hartford Business Journal

HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | JULY 27, 2026 15 Whether emergency medical help should have been sought sooner is central to the manslaughter case. Kaitlin Alvord told investigators she repeatedly suggested calling 911 but instead followed Eacott's instructions because she trusted his experience in addiction treatment. "I trusted Matt as he runs the largest rehab center in the state," she said in her sworn statement. According to her statement, a doctor later told her that calling 911 would not have made a difference by the time she was contacted. Still, she told investigators: "I feel that if 911 had been called earlier, there may have been a chance." The medical examiner ruled Alvord's death an accident caused by "complications of acute and chronic substance use (cocaine, amphetamine and fentanyl)," according to the affidavit. The detective who sought Eacott's arrest alleged there was probable cause to believe Eacott provided Alvord with a mixture containing cocaine and fentanyl. The detective also alleged Eacott knew the drugs' potency but did not call 911 because he wanted to avoid involvement by the state Department of Children and Families, describing that deci- sion as "extreme negligence." The affidavit includes witness statements describing what inves- tigators allege was a longer-term relationship between Eacott and Curtis Alvord. Two friends told inves- tigators that Alvord had obtained cocaine from Eacott on occasions before the October 2022 overdose. The tampering charge centers on Alvord's cellphone, which inves- tigators allege was never returned to his family after he was taken to the hospital. Kaitlin Alvord told investigators that phone-location data showed the device moved on Oct. 30, 2022, and left Eacott's home at 12:53 p.m. while Alvord was at UConn Health. Although the phone was never recovered, Kaitlin Alvord obtained text messages between Eacott and her brother from an AT&T store and provided them to investigators, according to the affidavit. The detec- tive said the messages appeared to show the two discussing buying and using narcotics, specifically cocaine. Through an attorney, Gold provided investigators with a different account. She acknowl- edged that Eacott had a history of substance abuse but said he had not used illegal drugs in more than five years, that illegal drugs were not permitted in their home and that Alvord arrived visibly intoxicated before later becoming unresponsive. Gold said she texted Kaitlin Alvord after Curtis would not wake up, and that Kaitlin came to the house and decided to drive him to the hospital. Eacott, who was arrested June 7, faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted of first-degree manslaughter, a Class B felony. His next court date in Torrington Supe- rior Court is Aug. 4, and he has a pretrial date in the New Britain drug case Aug. 6. He has been released on bonds totaling $650,000. The defense In a statement, Eacott's attor- neys, Bethany Phillips and Jeremy Donnelly of Donnelly Phillips LLC, said Eacott "is innocent of the charges against him and intends to vigorously defend himself in court." "The arrest warrant affidavit contains the state's allegations; those allegations have not been tested in the judicial process," the statement said. "We are confident the evidence presented in court will tell a different story." The attorneys said Eacott "has been open about his struggle with addiction and has accepted responsibility for that aspect of his life. What he will not do is accept responsibility for crimes he did not commit." Connecticut Innovations said it was unaware of Eacott's charges until contacted by the HBJ. A spokesperson said Eacott served on Aware Recovery Care's board, rather than in day-to-day manage- ment, when CI made its investments in 2024. The state Department of Public Health said it does not license Aware Recovery Care. The department regulates individual practitioners, not private practice businesses, spokes- woman Brittany Schaefer said. Matthew Eacott (left) shakes hands with Aware Recovery Care founder Stephen Randazzo in this 2017 HBJ file photo. General Dentist loc. Hartford, CT – Deliver high-quality, patient-centered dental care in a collab, multi-specialty environ. Req: DDS or DMD, & CT Dental License or eligibility. Salary $188,198 per year. Apply to Angela Bardin, Director of HR, Archway Dental, 4 Mountainview Terrace Suite 201, Danbury, CT 06810, angela@archway.dental THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 17 AQUA TURF CLUB | 5-8 PM THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 17 AQUA TURF CLUB | 5-8 PM VISIT HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM/HBJ-EVENTS OR SCAN HERE FOR TICKETS *2025 HONOREES PICTURED ABOVE PRESENTED BY TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW! TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW! TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW! TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW! SUPPORTING SPONSORS MAJOR SPONSOR

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